“I had to fight him a little bit,” Lue said. “He didn’t want to do it. But he definitely deserves one. I’m glad he accepted it and I’m glad the organization is going to get him one.”

James, who supported the Cavs’ decision to fire Blatt despite the team’s 30-11 record, never fully bought into Blatt as coach. Blatt had no prior NBA experience (of any kind) and struggled to relate to players.

Asked about Blatt’s ring after Wednesday’s 117-102 win over Orlando in the preseason opener, James said: “That’s an organizational thing and if that’s what they wanted to do then we’re all for it. Who am I to say who can or can’t get a ring?”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/412061/feed/02015 NBAECLEVELAND, OH - MAY 26: LeBron James #23 and David Blatt of the Cleveland Cavaliers talk to each other against the Atlanta Hawks in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2015 NBA Playoffs on May 26, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)Report: David Blatt Accepts Championship Ring From Cavaliershttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/david-blatt-accepts-championship-ring-cavaliers/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/david-blatt-accepts-championship-ring-cavaliers/#respondWed, 05 Oct 2016 15:32:18 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=411874

After being fired midway through their title season, former Cavaliers' head coach David Blatt accepted a championship ring from the team.

Former Cavaliers’ head coach David Blatt was fired and replaced by Tyronn Lue midway through last season. After the team’s incredible championship run, Blatt was offered a ring for his contributions. Yesterday, Blatt, who is coaching Darüşşafaka of the Turkish Basketball Super League, confirmed that he has accepted the offer.

Blatt discussed the decision with international basketball reporter David Pick:

(Cleveland) offered and I graciously accepted because they presented it to me in a way that was very respectful. The Cavaliers wanted to give me a ring because the organization felt that I contributed to the championship. It’s not my championship, I recognize that, but I also feel that I did something there, and I graciously accepted because it was a gracious offer on their part. The big thing for me was that I felt that they felt that it was earned, not given, therefore I was happy to accept.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/david-blatt-accepts-championship-ring-cavaliers/feed/02015 NBAECLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 1: Head coach David Blatt of the Cleveland Cavaliers draws up a play during the game against the Washington Wizards on December 1, 2015 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)Report: Cavs to Give David Blatt a Championship Ringhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/report-cavs-give-david-blatt-championship-ring/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/report-cavs-give-david-blatt-championship-ring/#respondFri, 16 Sep 2016 12:55:50 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=409954

David Blatt will reportedly receive a championship ring from the Cleveland Cavaliers next month. Blatt was fired and replaced by assistant coach Tyronn Lue midway through the Cavs’ championship season. Former coach David Blatt will get championship ring from Cavs. Story: https://t.co/34JtRajZTN — Jason Lloyd (@JasonLloydABJ) September 15, 2016 I told David Blatt the Cavaliers […]

Blatt went 83-40 in parts of two seasons with the Cavs and guided them to the NBA Finals in 2015, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games. He was replaced by Tyronn Lue after going 30-11 last season. Under Lue, the Cavs became the first team in NBA Finals history to erase a 3-1 deficit and win the championship.

Current coaches and players will receive their rings on Oct. 25, the same night the team raises the city’s first championship banner in 52 years.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/report-cavs-give-david-blatt-championship-ring/feed/02016 Getty ImagesHOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 15: Head coach David Blatt of the Cleveland Cavaliers watches the play on the court during their game against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on January 15, 2016 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)David Blatt: ‘I’m Going to Coach Next Year’http://www.slamonline.com/news-rumors/other-news/david-blatt-im-going-to-coach-next-year/
http://www.slamonline.com/news-rumors/other-news/david-blatt-im-going-to-coach-next-year/#respondMon, 23 May 2016 17:21:42 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=398702

After his midseason firing earlier this year, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ former coach David Blatt is sure he’ll land a position for next season—wherever that may be. More from USA Today: “I don’t see myself not being a head coach somewhere but you never know,” he said. In 23 years as a coach, Blatt has […]

Unlike former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt, Tyronn Lue appears to have LeBron James’ respect and admiration. Lue isn’t shy about talking back to James—he reportedly once told his superstar forward to pipe down in a team huddle. Lue is the first rookie coach to start 10-0 in the postseason. Coach Lue becomes the […]

Before Tyronn Lue was elevated to head coach, replacing Blatt, they were playing like a team that didn’t know its strengths — or, frankly, the rules of engagement at a championship level in today’s NBA. […] Blatt’s use of Kevin Love, refusing to get him the ball in the post and relegating him to a stand-still shooter when all else failed, bordered on ridiculous. By letting James overwhelm him in the huddle during timeouts, Blatt unwittingly ceded control — and demoralized the rest of the team. By not being comfortable enough to rein in James, the dynamic of the team became one of LeBron and then everybody else.

“They felt they were doing this for LeBron,” the person familiar with the internal workings of the team said, “instead of with LeBron.”

Lue changed that the moment he first told James in a huddle, “Shut the [expletive up]. I got this,” according to a person who heard the exchange — and a few others like it. If Lue was going to get the stars and the role players to buy into the strategic changes he was determined to implement — play faster, space the floor, move the ball, take full advantage of Love’s versatility — he was going to have to restore order first. […] He did it in every way possible, starting with James — calling him out in film sessions, barking at him in practice, seizing control back. Only then could the Cavaliers evolve into the juggernaut we are witnessing now.

The Sacramento Kings are reportedly going to interview both Patrick Ewing and David Blatt for their now-vacant head coaching position. Sources on @TheVertical. Charlotte's Patrick Ewing will interview for Sacramento Kings head coaching job. https://t.co/8jsdiHFo2s — Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) May 1, 2016 Link to the @espn latest on David Blatt's looming interview for the Kings' […]

“Eighty percent of the time I think the Kings did what had to be done,” Karl said of his firing after his 44-68 record. “But I’m old school enough to think that a coach has to feel powerful, has to feel supported, and I never felt that level of support.” […] Karl was doomed by the organization’s chronic dysfunction from the start. Karl was a popular hire among Kings fans when he replaced Tyrone Corbin, who was treated like a doormat by Cousins after Michael Malone’s brutally ill-conceived firing. But Karl stepped into a situation that doubled as a septic tank long before his plane touched down.

“Do you want my opinion?” Kim Van Deraa, his longtime companion, suddenly interjected from across the room. “I think DeMarcus needs to be loved. I kept telling George, ‘Go over and put your arms around him! He needs love.’ ” […] I don’t disagree,” he said, “but he needs players around him that are better fits. You could tell at the end of last year that Rudy (Gay) and Cuz didn’t work. We added some pieces last summer, but we had too many guards. I kept telling Mike (Bratz), ‘Darren Collison, Ben McLemore and Marco Belinelli are too similar. Trade one of them because you can’t keep three (shooting) guards happy.’ And I wanted to play Seth (Curry), but you can’t give a player seven minutes here, seven minutes there, and think they can gain any confidence.”

Interim bench boss Kurt Rambis remains the presumed leading candidate for the coaching gig in New York, but David Blatt at least reportedly got an audience with Knicks president Phil Jackson earlier this week. Knicks president Phil Jackson met with David Blatt about coaching job. @WojVerticalNBA report on @TheVertical. https://t.co/7b6TwYZwfo — The Vertical (@TheVertical) April […]

Interim bench boss Kurt Rambis remains the presumed leading candidate for the coaching gig in New York, but David Blatt at least reportedly got an audience with Knicks president Phil Jackson earlier this week.

Interim coach Kurt Rambis has remained a strong frontrunner to become the full-time coach, and it is unclear if the Blatt meeting was more than a token appearance in a coaching search. Jackson has been determined to continue to run his triangle offense, and Rambis has been a loyal disciple of the system.

Blatt, 59, has history with Knicks general manager Steve Mills. They played together at Princeton in the 1970s.

After reaching the NBA Finals in his first NBA season and starting 2015-16 with a 30-11 record, Blatt was fired as Cleveland Cavaliers coach in January. He was 83-40 in his Cavaliers tenure. Blatt joined the NBA after an illustrious two decades of pronounced success in the Euroleague and with FIBA basketball as the Russian national coach.

David Blatt may not be out of a job for very long. The New York Knicks are reportedly interested in Blatt’s services, and he could be one of the candidates team president Phil Jackson interviews this summer. Current interim coach Kurt Rambis remains the front-runner for the gig, however. Per ESPN: Blatt guided Cleveland to […]

Blatt guided Cleveland to the NBA Finals last year before his abrupt firing in January with the Cavs leading the East at 30-11. No coach in league history had been dismissed in-season with a higher winning percentage than Blatt’s .732.

Blatt already is a known quantity to Knicks general manager Steve Mills, who played with him at Princeton.

If Blatt were to get serious consideration for the Knicks position, it would indicate Jackson is not restricting himself to candidates who run his preferred triangle offense. […] Other available coaches with previous NBA experience include Brian Shaw, Tom Thibodeau, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson — the latter three all possessing Knicks ties.

Ever since head coach David Blatt was fired, the Cleveland Cavaliers have played with an obvious pep in their step, and Kevin Love is “finally” starting to look like, well, Kevin Love. LeBron James says that the big fella is has at last found his comfort zone within the team—Love even joined his boys for […]

The Cavs’ Big Three of James, Love and Kyrie Irving reportedly had a heart-to-heart, and promised that they would hold one another accountable going forward.

Per the Akron Beacon Journal:

“I think right now he’s finally getting comfortable in his role,” LeBron James said. “I think coach (Tyronn) Lue has done a great job clearing the air what he expects out of all of us, including Kev, and he’s a big focal point of our team. When he’s playing locked in like this, it’s great for us.” […] Love is averaging 23.7 points in his past three games (going into Monday’s matchup in Indiana.) His 71 total points in the Cavs’ past three victories is his second-highest total when he, James and Kyrie Irving share the floor. The only time it was better was a brief three-game stretch last season in wins against the Wizards, Pacers and Bucks.

“There are a lot of levels to this,” Love said. “I think it can get even better.” […] Making Love comfortable in this system was never a priority to Blatt, who often grew defensive whenever questions about Love’s role surfaced. Love talked with coaches last summer about installing some of the elbow sets he thrived in during his Minnesota days, but those conversations and ideas never gained much traction until Lue took over.

One guy who looks inspired defensively is Kevin Love. His string of 20-point scoring games ended (he finished with 19), but Love has been active defensively in recent games and made a big impact Monday. He was credited with two steals and two blocks, including a big one on Paul George coming out of a pick-and-roll in the fourth quarter. Then he posted this to his Twitter account. #lovethehashtag […] Love has often conceded he isn’t a great defender, but Lue was surprised to hear that after the game. “He admits that?” Lue asked. “Oh, I’m not going to say that. I’m not going there. I’m not going to admit that.”

Miami Heat president Pat Riley put to rest any speculation about LeBron James allegedly asking for head coach Erik Spoelstra to be canned. Riley says LeBron never told him that he wanted Spoelstra out. — Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) January 29, 2016 Riley, speaking during an event Thursday honoring him as an American Icon, said […]

On a report, originating from a translation of minority Heat owner Ranaan Katz, that LeBron James asked Riley to fire Erik Spoelstra: “Not from him to me, ever. I’ve been in that situation twice. I left Los Angeles and a lot of stuff followed me out the door to New York. And obviously when I left New York, a lot of stuff followed me down here to Miami. It took about 10 years to sort of get out of that storyline. So a lot of stuff is following him out the door. Whether it’s right or wrong, it’s just the nature of it. But as far as that goes, no, he never, ever walked in and said anything.”

On Dwyane Wade: “I’m so proud of him. Every now and then I’ll send him a text. And the subject line, we keep texting back, it’s ‘I’m so proud.’ I’m so proud of Dwyane, and the way he has led, and the fact that he is playing every night. And getting himself ready to play every night. He knows as well as I do that nobody ever is 100 percent. And his leadership, along with Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem, has kept us afloat right now during a very trying time. […] But I’m so proud of Dwyane and how he has come back and changed the narrative about himself and worked on his body. And I pray every night that he’s ready to go, and he’s going and he’s playing. Some nights he might not play well, but other nights he plays like he did in 2006.”

On state of the team: “I think we’re right in the middle of the pack. It seems as though there’s one team in the East that might be, not head and shoulders, but better than everybody, that being Cleveland. But I think two to 12 (seeds), it’s going to be a fight. Unless we do something very well here in the next four or five games on the road to be able to get more of a cushion, that it’s just going to be a fight from two to 12. […] We have a very good team. A very good team. And you can see some nights, the team plays at a very, very high level, from an effort standpoint, from an efficiency standpoint, an energy standpoint. And most importantly, the players that got to play, and the players you pay to play, are having great nights. Then every now and then, you get one or two other guys that are stepping up to the plate and having very good nights. We’re going to need more than Chris (Bosh) and Dwyane, there’s no doubt. We’re going to need contributions from other guys. But I think we’re going to be right in the thick of things. I think our team is who they are right now, and they’re a contender in the East. And I think from there, we just let it go from there.”

A highly-defensive LeBron James fired back against critics of his (alleged) involvement in the firings—attempted, and otherwise—of his past coaches. James says that he’s being unfairly targeted as the ultimate decider of these men’s fates. LeBron James said he's never even met Heat minority owner Raanan Katz, who said in a recent radio interview LeBron […]

LBJ claims that he will not stop voicing his opinion when it comes to basketball-related matters.

Per the Akron Beacon Journal:

“People get it so misconstrued because I’m a smart basketball player and I’ve voiced my opinion about certain things,” James said. “What do you guys want me to do? Turn my brain off because I have a huge basketball IQ? If that’s what they want me to do, I’m not going to do it because I’ve got so much to give to the game.”

The Cavs have been under fire for days. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, the president of the coaches association, called (David) Blatt’s firing an embarrassment. Spurs coach Gregg (Popovich) took a shot at Cavs general manager David Griffin after the Spurs were pounded by the Warriors on Monday. […] “I’m just glad my general manager wasn’t in the locker room,” Popovich quipped, “because it might have gotten me fired.”

“If I feel I got something that will help our team, ultimately, I like to give it. It helped me get two titles,” James said. “But I think it does suck that people want to throw my name in dirt for no particular reason, because of speculation or whatever the case may be. […] But you can’t worry about it too much. I got 14 guys here. I got a fan base here and a fan base all over the world that loves what I do and they respect what I do and I can’t worry about a select group of people that want to use their negative energy to take away my positive energy. I can’t allow that to happen.”

When the Cleveland Cavaliers stunningly fired head coach David Blatt last Friday, everyone automatically assumed that LeBron James had called in the hit (though he denied any involvement in the matter.) Ranaan Katz, a limited ownership partner in Miami, alleged on a sports radio show in Israel that LBJ tried—but ultimately failed—to pull the same […]

Ranaan Katz, a limited ownership partner in Miami, alleged on a sports radio show in Israel that LBJ tried—but ultimately failed—to pull the same stunt with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra during their time together in South Beach.

Miami Heat part-owner Raanan Katz said LeBron had Blatt fired. In same breath: "He tried the same with Spo, but failed."

Reached Tuesday, Katz said, “That was my opinion. I am very careful with what I say. I have no knowledge of what happened.” […] A Heat spokesman said before Tuesday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center that there was no such attempt by James.

On why James left Miami for Cleveland: “With the Miami Heat, LeBron James—before and after his four seasons when his contract was up with the team—made it clear that he wanted to dump head coach Erik Spoelstra. At one point, [Heat president] Pat Riley called LeBron into his office said that no one will tell him how to run the organization. Riley told James that Spoelstra is his guy and that firing Spoelstra is out of the question. That was the main reason LeBron returned to Cleveland.”

Katz does not hide his feelings over James’ departure. […] “The guy left,” he said Tuesday, “I would not talk to him again. I have my own feelings, but that is all.”

A day following their most humiliating loss of the season, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving called for calm within the Cleveland Cavaliers’ fanbase and the media that covers the team. Both All-Stars say the disheartening, 34-point spanking they suffered at the hands of the Golden State Warriors on national television isn’t the end of the […]

While they gathered Tuesday for film work and treatment, players and coaches were forced to start looking ahead to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. But it will be hard to shake how the Big Three has now faded twice within five days, and against the two best teams in the West. […] Folks within the organization left San Antonio last week shaking their heads at how poorly the Cavs’ stars played against the Spurs. They were even worse against the Warriors when (Stephen) Curry outscored the three by himself.

“Mentally, we’ve got to be sharp. We’ve got to be more sharp,” James said. He mentioned teams like the Bulls, Spurs and Warriors who have players that have won championships and who are “sharp mentally at all times.” He clearly isn’t putting the Cavs in that same category. “We’re not there yet,” he said. “We’ve got some inexperienced guys that haven’t played enough meaningful basketball games where they can fall back on. When it gets a little tough sometimes, it’s not like they can kind of fall back on previous experiences to try and help them get through it.” […] “We’re not defeated, it’s not the worst thing,” Irving said. “Of course, everyone else is going to make it seem like it’s the worst thing possible that we got beat on our home floor. But it’s something to learn from and go forward. We’ll be just fine.”

(Love) is averaging 12.4 points and shooting 37 percent since Irving returned to the lineup. He was averaging 17.6 points and shooting 43 percent without Irving. […] The questions about Love’s fit on this team are returning, particularly with how badly he struggles defensively, and Love is short on answers. Asked about his diminishing role, Love offered only, “I don’t know how to answer that.” Nor did he want to discuss the overall issues on offense. “I’m not going to get into that,” he said.

The plan in Cleveland this season—according to head coach David Blatt, at least—was to bring LeBron James’ minutes down from a career-low 36.1 in 2014-15. But given the Cavaliers’ injuries, James is actually logging 37.1 minutes a night through 21 games so far. The 30-year-old superstar says he doesn’t want a drastic reduction in his […]

For a quick reminder of why his minutes load matters, last week James went over 44,000 NBA minutes for his 13-year career. The Cavs are trying to manage his mileage. […] When James was averaging about 40 minutes per game early last season, he called for those minutes to come down. Now, he’s shrugging off his early season uptick.

“I’m not a 31, 32 minute guy. That’s just not, that ain’t me,” James said after practice on Thursday. The Cavs start a two-game road trip to Orlando and Boston Friday night against the Magic.

But James isn’t really looking to sit. He’s leading the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring (8.9 points per game), and he’s fifth in the league with an overall average of 26.5 points per night. He’s also averaging nearly two more rebounds per game (7.9 to 6.0) than he did last season. […] “I’m playing at a high level,” James said. I’m shooting the ball extremely well and I’m not hurting my team when I’m on the floor. If I’m hurting my team, then I should be sitting down. But I feel good. I’m always kind of like in the middle,” he continued. I’m not a guy who likes to sit. If we take care of business and we go out and we’re able to beat up on a team and I can sit in the fourth, then I can. If not, then I need to play. If I’m in the lineup then I need to be out on the floor. And I’m not saying I have to be out there 48 minutes or 40 minutes. But I’m going to make an impact.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers are riding a two-game losing streak, and LeBron James is growing increasingly agitated with his team’s lackadaisical approach. James is keeping an eye on the Golden State Warriors and their unblemished record, and can see that the defending champs seem like a much more determined squad. LeBron James: "We lost in the […]

The Cavs are still 8-3, but they’re talking like a team that’s 3-8. They’ve lost consecutive regular season games for just the third time since Jan. 15 – and one of those streaks was late last season when they were resting guys and coasting. […] Now they’re coasting again and it’s early November. They grabbed just three offensive rebounds Tuesday and didn’t score any second-chance points. Free-throw shooting remains a big problem. They didn’t have anyone to match up with Andre Drummond and their offense went cold in the fourth. James pointed to the Golden State Warriors, the defending champs who are destroying teams this season, unbeaten and winning by more than 16 points per game.

“We haven’t done anything,” James said. “We didn’t win anything. We lost. We lost in the Finals. That’s enough motivation for myself. I think we need to understand that. We lost in the Finals. We didn’t win. And the team that beat us looks more hungry than we are. It shouldn’t be that way.”

James said after the double-overtime loss to the Bucks that the Cavs were a good team, but not a great team. Well he downgraded them again after this loss. If they lose to the Bucks again Thursday he might call them lottery-bound. […] “Like I said before, this whole week, we’re not a very good team,” James said. “It’s just that simple. We have the ability to be a great team, but right now we’re not a very good team.”

With very few (and hilarious—see above) exceptions, Kevin Love and LeBron James appear to be on the same page, and enjoying their working partnership quite a bit. This was not the case last season. Love was basically an outcast in Cleveland—this despite the fact that LBJ basically engineered his trade from Minnesota—and according to the […]

When Kevin Love and LeBron James met in Los Angeles prior to the start of free agency last summer, Love’s mind was already made up: He was returning to the Cavaliers. But in order for these two stars to coexist for the next five years, changes needed to be made. The relationship as it existed likely wasn’t sustainable. […] There were various reasons that contributed to it, many of which might never be known, but ultimately those within the organization will concede now that James was indeed frustrated with Love last season. Some of that is starting to change.

Yet from almost the moment Love arrived, the relationship seemed to sour. James went to great lengths to get him here, and now team officials concede James didn’t treat him very well once he arrived. […] In truth, James was frustrated in part because Love showed up out of shape. He didn’t work out much at all the summer he was traded here and he wasn’t the player James was expecting. His legs bothered him all season. His back was hurting. All of the parts were connected and none of them were firing properly.

James’ approach, however, remains curious. He has never called another teammate the focal point of the offense. He has never claimed to ride another teammate’s coattails, as he has said multiple times already this season and again on Wednesday. So why now? Why this approach? James won’t offer much. […] “I’m just smart,” he says with a wry smile. When pressed further, he doesn’t budge. “I’m just smart. That’s all I can tell you. I’m just smart.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/report-lebron-james-was-frustrated-with-an-out-of-shape-kevin-love-last-season/feed/02014 Getty ImagesCLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 23: LeBron James #23 and Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers react after a play in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Quicken Loans Arena on December 23, 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)LeBron James: Kevin Love is ‘Main Focus’ of the Offensehttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-kevin-love-is-main-focus-of-the-offense/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-kevin-love-is-main-focus-of-the-offense/#respondThu, 29 Oct 2015 18:20:38 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=375663

Following the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 106-76 demolition of the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night, LeBron James announced that Kevin Love is now the “focal point” of Cleveland’s offensive attack. Love led the way for the Cavs with a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double performance against the Grizz frontline. LBJ and K-Love began talking about expanding the power forward’s role […]

“I can do more,” Love recalled telling James in late June. “I think that he knew that. Since then I think everybody is really stepped up and asked what they can do in their respective roles. From a comfort standpoint, I just feel a lot, a lot better.” […] Love had 17 points and 13 rebounds in the Cavs’ mauling of one of the West’s elite. He nearly outrebounded the Grizzlies by himself in the first quarter, 10-8, and he had a double-double by halftime. He was intense. He has shown more emotion in these last two games than he did for much of last season, when he so often was stuck just drifting around the 3-point line.

“Kevin is going to be our main focus,” James said Wednesday. “He’s going to have a hell of a season. He’s going to get back to that All-Star status. He’s the focal point of us offensively.” […] James never talked Chris Bosh up like that in four years together in Miami. Maybe Dwyane Wade, but not Bosh. Without Kyrie Irving for the foreseeable future, however, James is trusting Love.

“I know I can go out and get mine when I need it,” James said. “But I need Kev to be as aggressive as he was tonight, and when he rebounds at the level he did tonight, the shots will automatically fall for him.”

The 2015-16 NBA regular season is upon us, at last, and all eyes are once again on LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers. The LeBronnaires are favored to win the whole thing, with James being the League’s leading MVP candidate. LBJ says he welcomes the enormous expectations and title-or-bust pressure facing the Cavs, and warns […]

LBJ says he welcomes the enormous expectations and title-or-bust pressure facing the Cavs, and warns that despite injuries to key players early on in the campaign—the 30-year-old superstar’s creaky back is healthy enough for him to suit up on Opening Night—Cleveland needs to get off to a strong start.

Per USA Today:

“Once we get healthy, we’ll know exactly what we have,” James said. “For our team, health is going to be No.1 because we have so many great pieces.” […] (Kyrie) Irving, (Kevin) Love, (Anderson) Varejao and (Timofey) Mozgov are returning from injuries that required surgery, and on the team’s first practice of training camp, the Cavs announced (Iman) Shumpert would miss at least the first two months of the regular season with a wrist injury that required surgery.

“It’s not even fair to say what we’ll look like the first game of the season, because it’s not what we’ll look like in January, February or even March,” James said. “Your team changes from month to month, and obviously our team will be different from the start of the season compared to a third of the way into the season.” […] “I have no time to waste,” James said. “My ultimate goal is to win a championship, and it starts now.”

Much was made about James’ offensive inefficiency during the postseason, including harsh self-criticism. James shot 41.7% in the playoffs, including 39.8% in a Finals in which he averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists. The gaudy stats did not impress him. […] “The numbers that I put up in the Finals I pretty much didn’t care for, because I was so inefficient,” James said. “It hurts me. It bothered me a lot.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-i-have-no-time-to-waste/feed/0SLAMonlineLeBron James Not Practicing But Expected to Play in Season-Openerhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-not-practicing-but-expected-to-play-in-season-opener/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-not-practicing-but-expected-to-play-in-season-opener/#respondFri, 23 Oct 2015 13:10:44 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=375016

The Cleveland Cavaliers held LeBron James out of practice once again Thursday, but head coach David Blatt says LBJ will suit up against the Chicago Bulls on Opening Night next Tuesday. James, 30, hasn’t practiced since taking an anti-inflammatory shot to his back last week. LeBron did “light work” on the court while his teammates […]

“We’re being very conscientious and cautious with him in terms of his feeling,” coach David Blatt said. “He’s fine and he’s going to be fine. We’re just going slowly and carefully with him. He’ll be out there very soon.”

James didn’t speak to reporters following the workout at Cleveland Clinic Courts. However, he did throw around some footballs with a few teammates on a field outside the facility before heading home. […] The 30-year-old star played in just two of Cleveland’s seven exhibition games, missing the last three after receiving the shot. Last week, James said he would get another injection in his back if needed.

Entering his 13th NBA season, James has said he may play fewer minutes in the regular season to stay fresh for the postseason and a run at a third league title. He has played over 43,000 minutes — he averaged a career-low 36.1 last season — and James has acknowledged his basketball mortality saying “Father Time is undefeated” on more than one occasion. […] James missed 13 games last season, the most in his career, and he took two weeks off to rest his back and a strained knee. Blatt said he’s not concerned the time off will affect James’ conditioning.

Results of the annual survey of NBA general managers have been released, and much like the oddsmakers, GMs believe LeBron James will lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first title in franchise history this season. James is also once again favored to take home his fifth Most Valuable Player award. Jahlil Okafor remains the top […]

NBA general managers predict the Cleveland Cavaliers (53.6% of the vote) will capture their first ever NBA title, based on the results of this year’s NBA.com GM survey. Cleveland’s four-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James received 39.3% of the MVP votes by the league’s general managers. New Orleans Pelicans center/forward Anthony Davis (25%) finished second in the MVP voting, followed by Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (10.7%) and Houston Rockets guard James Harden (10.7%), then Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (7.1%) and Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (7.1%).

Davis received an overwhelming 86.2% of the votes from general managers for player they would want to start a franchise with today. Additionally, San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard was tabbed the league’s top defender (27.6%) while San Antonio’s three-time NBA Coach of the Year Gregg Popovich received 93.1% of the votes for the league’s best coach.

Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor received 44.8% for Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, while fellow first-year center, Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns (62.1%), was projected to be the 2015 NBA Draft’s best player five years from now. […] Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (62.1%) was named the league’s top international player, only the second time – also San Antonio guard Tony Parker in 2013-14 – that someone other than Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzkihas held that distinction.

Injuries derailed the Cleveland Cavaliers’ NBA title chase last season, and despite LeBron James’ superhuman efforts, he was unable to single-handedly carry them past the champion Golden State Warriors. The Cavs are starting the 2015-16 campaign once again beset by a rash of injuries, but LeBron is confident that he won’t have to shoulder such […]

James, who’s counting on Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving to have monster years, says last season’s painful experience has taught his teammates what it takes to reach the mountaintop.

Per ESPN:

“I will lead this team, but I don’t have to carry it,” James said before shootaround as the Cavs prepared to play the Atlanta Hawks in their preseason opener at Xavier University on Wednesday night. “We have enough guys until all our guys get here. Until Kyrie [Irving] and Tristan [Thompson] and [Iman Shumpert] is ready, we have enough guys that will all help. It’s not about me carrying the team and that nature. We’re all grown men, we’re all professionals and they’re here to do their job.”

James is already doing his part to prepare J.R. Smith for the season opener vs. Chicago on Oct. 27. The pair showed up an hour before Wednesday’s shootaround to get shots up before the rest of the team arrived. It’s a tradition the two started in the postseason last spring. […] “Just trying to get better,” James explained. “It’s all about repetition. In order to try to be as good as you can, it’s about getting on the floor and getting extra work in. And that’s what we do. Myself and J.R., we got some chemistry. We got some great chemistry and we just try to give it our all.”

“I think just as far as a franchise and how we carry ourselves every day is a lot different,” James said. “Last year at the start of the season, I don’t think people saw the vision and didn’t understand the process. I think guys do now. We know how important every practice, every day is for us to get better. […] And until we’re whole, we still won’t understand it as a full unit. But we’ll approach the game as we should and our coaching staff is going to prepare us the best way every night to be ready for anything, both on and off the floor.”

According to Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt, it’s “fair and realistic” to expect Kevin Love in the lineup when the Cavs kick off the regular season against the Chicago Bulls. Kyrie Irving and his surgically-repaired knee, though? Not so much. Love has been cleared for 3 on 3. Blatt concedes plan is for Love […]

Love won’t play in the two preseason games scheduled this week against the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia Sixers.

Per the NEOMG:

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will not play in the team’s two preseason games this week against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday and in Philadelphia on Thursday, but the goal remains to have him available for the opener against Chicago on Oct. 27. […] “That would be fair and realistic,” Blatt said Tuesday from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Blatt has recently said that the recovery schedules are different for Love and Irving, who continues to recover from a fractured kneecap suffered during Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Irving has yet to participate in practice, only doing some light work on the side, and didn’t play during the team’s annual Wine and Gold Scrimmage on Monday night.

“(Love) played three-on-three yesterday and this part of our plan and progression for him to get back on the court to live basketball,” Blatt said. “He has been with us since day one, participating in all the drill work and tactical work that we’ve had. But we’ve taken him out whenever we went live. After this progression, hopefully this weekend we will be able to put him into practice in a normal fashion.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ offensive attack in 2015-16 will feature a lot more of Kevin Love than it did during his ill-fated first season in Ohio. LeBron James, for one, has huge expectations for his teammate and thinks Love will now be able to fit in with his Cavs squad. Head coach David Blatt, echoing what […]

Head coach David Blatt, echoing what the front-office announced this summer, plans to have the rock in the three-time All-star’s hands quite a bit going forward.

Per ESPN:

“I just think he’s more comfortable in the situation that he’s in,” James said after practice Wednesday. “He’s got a year under his belt; he knows what he expects out of himself and what his teammates expect out of him. I expect big things from him this year with a year up under his belt.”

James was expounding upon his statement at Monday’s media day that Love’s increased presence will allow James to sit back and rest more than he has in years past. […] “He will do some of the things he did prior to last year,” James continued.

Once Love committed to the Cavs long-term, Blatt spent the offseason trying to figure out a way to get more out of his stretch 4. […] “No question, this summer we looked for and identified ways that we can take advantage of Kev’s unique skill set, and hopefully we’ll see that on the floor,” Blatt said.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-on-kevin-love-i-expect-big-things-from-him/feed/02015 Getty ImagesBOSTON, MA - APRIL 23: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on April 23, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)LeBron James Prepared to Reduce Playing Timehttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-prepared-to-reduce-playing-time/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-prepared-to-reduce-playing-time/#respondTue, 29 Sep 2015 13:40:09 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=372572

Last season, LeBron James averaged a career-low 36.1 minutes per night, and the plan in 2015-16 is to bring that number even lower. LeBron, reluctantly, says he’s on board with Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt’s plan to reduce the wear and tear on his superstar’s body. James, turning 31 in December, has appeared in […]

Last season, LeBron James averaged a career-low 36.1 minutes per night, and the plan in 2015-16 is to bring that number even lower.

LeBron, reluctantly, says he’s on board with Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt’s plan to reduce the wear and tear on his superstar’s body.

James, turning 31 in December, has appeared in five consecutive NBA Finals and knows that he needs to pace himself throughout the endless regular season slog.

Per the NEOMG:

“I think that’s a coach Blatt, myself conversation,” James said Monday when asked about his minutes. “We haven’t quite gotten there yet. I’m very hard headed, I am, because I love to play so much. But I think (with) what we have, I don’t need to be as hard headed. I think I’ll be very smart with how many minutes I play per game and what I’m doing on the floor.

“I think we have enough pieces to (reduce James’ minutes),” James continued. “And I think Kevin Love will allow me to sit a lot this year just because of his ability, what he’s able to do. Kyrie (Irving) as well. So I won’t have to worry about playing big minutes this year.”

In mid-November, James was averaging 39.1 minutes per game and said “that has to come down.” He challenged Cleveland’s decision makers – Blatt – to “be smart about it.” […] James also admitted Monday what Blatt alluded to for months, that the game’s best player can be “hard headed.” Finally, James is clearly pleased with the Cavs’ depth, singling out Love, with whom he had an awkward, tenuous relationship in their first season together.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-prepared-to-reduce-playing-time/feed/02015 NBAECLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 3: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 3, 2015 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2014 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)Cavs Coach David Blatt Thought NBA Transition Would Be a ‘Breeze’http://www.slamonline.com/nba/cavs-coach-david-blatt-thought-nba-transition-would-be-a-breeze/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/cavs-coach-david-blatt-thought-nba-transition-would-be-a-breeze/#respondTue, 14 Jul 2015 15:55:06 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=365779

All told, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt’s first season in the NBA went about as well as he could have hoped—he helped guide the Cavs all the way to the NBA Finals, after all. But there were also plenty of bumps along the way. Blatt discovered just how difficult and intensely-scrutinized the job of […]

“When I came to the NBA I was under the impression that this was going to be a breeze,” Blatt said. “I’ve been coaching for 23 years at the highest level in Europe. I coached in the national-team environment, coached professional teams, coached Euroleague teams and I thought I thought I knew basketball and I thought I knew how to coach. Which, in my mind, I did. […] But I realized that when I came over here it was a very, very different game with a whole new set of problems and a whole slew of things to deal with inside and outside of the game.”

“We were playing every (Finals) game with a different team,” Blatt said. “We started off with one team, then we lost one guy so we had to change a little bit of the way we played. Played a few more games and another guy went down, played with a different team, that guy came back, then all of sudden we were playing with half of our old team and it just kind of went like that as we went along. […] I’m really (angry) we didn’t play the final series with all of our players,” he added.

Blatt also spoke about how the schedule in the NBA is far more hectic than in Europe, and how that makes game-prepping a bigger challenge. He said European teams usually have about six full weeks to prepare for a season, while the NBA has rules limiting camp length and how many two-a-days can be part of the buildup to opening night.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/cavs-coach-david-blatt-thought-nba-transition-would-be-a-breeze/feed/0Casey SapioCavs Plan to Run Their Offense More Through Kevin Love Next Seasonhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/cavs-plan-to-run-their-offense-more-through-kevin-love-next-season/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/cavs-plan-to-run-their-offense-more-through-kevin-love-next-season/#respondMon, 13 Jul 2015 14:55:59 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=365572

Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin addressed a number of issues for his team in a wide-ranging interview over the weekend at Summer League in Las Vegas. Griffin is hopeful that the organization can eventually come to terms with restricted free agent Tristan Thompson; the Cavs continue to negotiate with both Matthew Dellavedova and J.R. […]

Griffin all but confirmed an earlier report the Cavs were offering Thompson around $80 million when he said the Cavs will have three max players on the roster and “one near max player.” Thompson would qualify as the near max player, but the two sides have failed to reach an agreement two weeks into free agency. Griffin said he hopes the two sides can strike a deal. […] “I don’t know about relatively soon, but I hope so,” Griffin said. “He’s restricted, we really like him. I think we’ll wind up getting something done.”

On Love’s quick extension agreement: “All of the media stuff that was out there about him and L.A. and all these other things was just so asinine. There was no truth to any of that. Nothing that was being written about him having eyes for someplace else was ever in conjunction with what he was saying to us. Everything he did was exactly what he was saying all along.”

On using Love differently to take better advantage of his vast skillset: “I think he and Coach have had a lot of conversations about that. He and Bron have had conversations about that. Kevin enables us to have somebody else carry the mail when LeBron sits down once in a while. Kyrie (Irving) was in a situation where he was clearly the one who was taking over when LeBron was out and I think we probably didn’t utilize Kevin enough to make Kyrie’s job easier. I think we have the ability to put him at the elbow and run offense through him a lot more than we did – some of the things he did really well in Minnesota.”

Kevin Love is returning to Cleveland, announcing Thursday that he’s officially inked a five-year, $113 million deal with the Cavaliers. Today it's inked and official. I did this video to talk about my reasons for returning to Cleveland http://t.co/KK1kk6mGEU @PlayersTribune — Kevin Love (@kevinlove) July 9, 2015 Love broke down how he came to his […]

Love, who announced last week that he will stay in Cleveland, said Thursday that he and James had a “very honest” talk before free agency opened and the discussion led him to re-signing with the Cavs, a team he hopes to help win an NBA championship. […] The Love-James relationship was constantly analyzed last season as the Cavs tried to mesh new players under first-year coach David Blatt.

“He happened to be in Los Angeles the same time I was,” Love said of James, who remains a free agent but will re-sign with Cleveland. “So, we just talked everything out and a lot of stuff was very honest and we came to a really good place and we agreed on a lot of things, so I think that was also a very big deal when you’re talking to the best player in the world.” […] The pair were photographed sitting near a pool and Love said “it turns out pools are great meeting places” when he revealed he would re-sign with Cleveland.

“I expressed this to LeBron and he’d been through it a couple of times now — I can actually go wherever I want and pick the team I want to play for,” Love said. […] “But every time I went through the different scenarios I always came out at the same place, and that was to be in Cleveland and try to win championships. I would be able to really help this team win and going forward make a very big impact on this team and on this city, trying to bring a championship or championships.”

At a business conference Tuesday in Israel, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt ended his speech by predicting a championship for LeBron “Moses” James and company in 2015-16. Blatt, preparing for his second NBA season, survived a wild and rumor-filled first year in the League, and is evidently emboldened by the experience. .@IAmDPick tells @BullandFox […]

Following a six-game loss in the NBA Finals to the champion Golden State Warriors, Cleveland’s front-office has been busy spending gobs of money since the free agency period began this week, locking up Kevin Love (five years, $110 million), Tristan Thompson (over $80 million) and Iman Shumpert (four years, $40 million).

Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin’s aim this summer is to keep the roster and its coaching staff intact. Both Kevin Love and LeBron James have indicated that, despite going into free agency, both guys are returning to Ohio next season. The Cavs’ front-office hopes the team can once again become a “juggernaut”, as they […]

Cavs general manager David Griffin said the Cavs finished 33-3 with their lineup healthy and intact, which is reason enough to squash any coaching rumors. […] “You don’t go 33‑3 with those guys healthy and put together the team we had, have it be an offensive juggernaut, and then have to turn around and play without them, be a defensively stifling team that literally chokes the life out of a 60-win team and sweeps them in a playoff series and have your coach not do a hell of a job. He did. I think our whole staff did,” Griffin said. “And we literally won an incredible number of games against very, very good teams playing radically different styles from each other. So from a purely basketball perspective, I’m not quite sure exactly what anybody is looking to have happen.”

Griffin said Thursday he expects both James and Kevin Love to become free agents later this month and expects both to return next season. Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova will receive qualifying offers, making them restricted free agents that will allow the Cavs to match any offers they receive in free agency. Griffin would like to keep all three, essentially maintaining the core of a team that won 53 games and advanced to the Finals for the second time in team history.

“We very much intend to keep this group together,” Griffin said. “You look at that as a group that has the potential to be special, special good.”

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt met with the media Thursday, mere moments after a published report claimed that he’d been routinely disrespected by LeBron James throughout the NBA Finals. It became such a big story that a local reporter embarrassed himself by wrongly stating on the air that Blatt was about to announce his […]

Cavs GM David Griffin said the notion of firing Blatt after his first year was absurd.

Per the News-Herald:

The Cavs overcame numerous obstacles last season. Blatt said if most of the roster returns next season, it would be a major boost. […] “To be able to hit the ground running next year with all or most of our roster intact will be just an enormous advantage,” he said. “The kind of grit, determination and identity as a competitive unit that we have shown and developed during the course of the year will give us such a push forward to start the year. We went through an awful lot of growing pains this year, and the process was long and arduous until we sort of found our stride and got our roster to where we wanted to.”

For a team that came two victories from a title, changing coaches isn’t usually on their agenda. That has been the tone of several national reports since the Cavs were eliminated by Golden State in the Finals. […] “I think sensational sells now, and certainly with a team like ours, the more sensational the better,” Griffin said. “LeBron himself said, I think it was June 1, that he thinks Coach has done a hell of a job. So if you want to use his actual words, that’s what the man said. […] From a purely basketball perspective, I’m not quite sure exactly what anybody is looking to have happen. It’s all conjecture. I think one thing David did as well as anybody I’ve ever seen — and I wish I did better — was just ignore the noise from the media perspective. Because frankly, none of that means anything. We know what actually takes place here.”

“He’s a galvanizing player,” Blatt said. “He is our best player. He’s the league’s best player. He’s a winner. He’s a proven champion. I think it’s important that he feels empowered and at the same time that he knows that he’s very much a part of this team. And I think he’s exhibited that, and always put the team’s success beyond his. Now if he has felt that he wants to impose his will in terms of influencing in a positive way on those around him, that’s a good thing. That’s a good thing for all, and I certainly encourage that and certainly respected the fact that LeBron’s heart was in the right place. […] It’s been a lot of fun on a number of different levels,” he said. “It’s not just the challenging aspect. It’s having the opportunity to work with a truly special, special player. I mean, one of the most, if not the most special players of all time. That’s not a small thing. It’s invigorating and exhilarating in all honesty. I can just tell you it’s been a fantastic experience, and I’m looking forward to continuing it,” he said.

Heading into the NBA Finals, LeBron James endorsed the job head coach David Blatt had done in his first season. Blatt survived and even thrived despite the pressure and outsize expectations that come with coaching the galaxy’s best player, but according to ESPN, the relationship between LeBron and his coach hit a bump in the […]

Blatt survived and even thrived despite the pressure and outsize expectations that come with coaching the galaxy’s best player, but according to ESPN, the relationship between LeBron and his coach hit a bump in the road during the championship round.

We literally saw peak LeBron and the corresponding LeBron nadir over those six gripping games with Golden State. He ‎had staffers from the 67-win Warriors almost quaking at night in fear of the havoc he was wreaking, such was his genius in controlling tempo and carrying a skeleton of a roster to a 2-1 lead that actually made you think the Cavs could win it all with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and his beloved Anderson Varejao all sidelined.

And we likewise saw LeBron emasculate Blatt in ways that are simply unbecoming of a player of James’ legend-in-the-making stature. […] I saw it from close range in my role as sideline reporter through the Finals for ESPN Radio. LeBron essentially calling timeouts and making substitutions. LeBron openly barking at Blatt after decisions he didn’t like. LeBron huddling frequently with (Cavs assistant coach Ty Lue) and so often looking at anyone other than Blatt.

There was LeBron, in one instance I witnessed from right behind the bench, shaking his head vociferously in protest after one play Blatt drew up in the third quarter of Game 5, amounting to the loudest nonverbal scolding you could imagine. […] Which forced Blatt, in front of his whole team, to wipe the board clean and draw up something else.

With his heavily-favored squad facing the unfathomable possibility of going down 3-1 in the NBA Finals, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made the ballsy (and wholly unexpected) move of replacing Andrew Bogut in the Dubs’ starting lineup with Andre Iguodala. This was Iggy’s very first start of the season. It paid off handsomely—the […]

The decision to go super-small made the Warriors a quicker, more confident unit, and the dog-tired Cleveland Cavaliers simply couldn’t keep up.

Game 5 in Oakland promises to be a war.

Per the SF Chronicle:

“The move changed the chessboard,” Kerr said. “I think it was important to get better spacing. We had five guys out there who can run pretty fast, so we got up and down the floor pretty quickly, and that helped us get off to a better start.” […] In an attempt to regain the feverish pace with which they played all season, the Warriors subbed swingman Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup for center Andrew Bogut and pushed the tempo every time they had a chance.

After deciding not to defend Tony Allen in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals — a move that helped erase a 2-1 deficit in Memphis — Thursday’s adjustment in Cleveland might have taken even more gumption. […] The Warriors’ starting lineup of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green and Bogut was the second-most successful since the NBA began tracking starters in 1970-71. The Warriors went 9-6 without Bogut during the regular season and he played only 2:46 Thursday.

The Warriors also got 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists from Green, 14 points and eight rebounds from Barnes, nine points and five rebounds from David Lee and seven points, eight rebounds and four assists from Shaun Livingston. […] It shows Kerr is “not afraid to take a chance, and obviously, it’s not a blind guess,” Curry said. “He’s obviously invested in our team and a smart coach who is willing to make adjustments to help us be in a better position to win a game.”

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt’s first NBA season has been quite an eye-opener. He helped lead Cleveland back into the NBA Finals, but it was treacherous journey: there were many calls for his firing after the LeBron James-led Cavs got off to a 19-20 start. Blatt admits that his first year in the League […]

Blatt has been a coaching nomad in Israel, Italy, Turkey, Russia and Greece. But he spent the time in Europe, much closer to his family – his wife and four children. […] “For me, the most difficult part was being away from my four kids. No doubt,” Blatt said.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who wanted Blatt on his staff, had a conversation with Blatt when the two teams played in Oakland on Jan. 9. […] “It was before the game in the hallway outside the locker room,” Kerr said. “I don’t remember exactly what we talked about, but I do remember part of it being the pressure that comes in this business, but especially when you’re coaching LeBron and the expectations that come your way. Then as soon as things go a little bit south, what happens with the media, with the fans.”

Blatt is honest about his foray into NBA coaching. “The learning curve was greater than I thought it would be. It’s a lot of things on and off the court because the whole off-the-court picture of the NBA is so much more significant than it is in Europe that it’s almost undefinable and the on-the-court aspect, too, is very, very different. […] I know I said many times the game is the game. Well, it’s not. It’s different. It’s different in many, many ways.”

When the star-studded Cleveland Cavaliers stumbled to a 19-20 start, the calls for David Blatt’s head were impossible to ignore. The rookie NBA coach survived, of course, and helped lead the Cavs to the best record in the League since Jan.13. He’s the first coach since Pat Riley in 1982 to reach the NBA Finals […]

When the star-studded Cleveland Cavaliers stumbled to a 19-20 start, the calls for David Blatt’s head were impossible to ignore.

The rookie NBA coach survived, of course, and helped lead the Cavs to the best record in the League since Jan.13. He’s the first coach since Pat Riley in 1982 to reach the NBA Finals in his first go-around.

“We knew that a lot of people were going to say things that, you know, didn’t mean much, but that’s just what they have to do,” James said. “That’s what helps sales. That’s the, people love reading the negative things more than the positive things, so I think he’s handled his situation unbelievably.

“Being a rookie coach in the NBA, being able to take his team to the Finals, I think he’s done a helluva job.”

Kyrie Irving described Blatt’s positive traits as “being able to listen and be receptive to what the players are saying and going out and making changes. […] “If he feels like it’s what’s best for the team he’s the coach and he’s going to make a decision and we all respect that,” Irving said. “It hasn’t been anyone stepping on anybody’s toes. Obviously there has been some disagreements here and there, but what team doesn’t have disagreements?”

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt isn’t as confident about his All-Star point guard’s health going into the NBA Finals as Kyrie Irving appears to be. Blatt concedes that progress has been slow when it comes to the nagging tendinitis in Irving’s left knee. Kyrie, for what it’s worth, says he’ll be ready to go […]

Kyrie Irving’s left knee continues to progress, but he won’t be 100 percent when the Cavs open the NBA Finals at the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night “unless something miraculous happens,” Irving said.

“Progress has been slow,” coach David Blatt conceded, although he declined to characterize Irving as having a setback with the knee in recent days. “He’s not out of the woods entirely … He’s playing through it and has been doing a great job.” […] Irving was held out of parts of practice again Monday, the team’s final workout before flying to the Bay Area on Tuesday. He has been battling left knee tendinitis throughout this postseason, although Irving confirmed Monday the right foot injury – which triggered the knee tendinitis – is no longer an issue.

“These days are very, very important for me, especially going to the Finals I want to feel as close to my old self as I could,” Irving said. “Preparing for a great team like that you need as many days as you can.”

Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith is salivating at the prospect of the Golden State Warriors double-teaming teammate LeBron James. Despite his boredom with open shots, Smith thinks it would be deadly for the Dubs to leave him and other Cavs open in an attempt to take the rock out of LeBron’s hands. J.R. Smith […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers, despite a spate of injuries and an off shooting night for LeBron James, easily dismissed the Chicago Bulls in Game 6 and are now moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals. J.R. Smith had 12 points and eight rebounds in the 94-73 blowout, and made sure to troll the New York Knicks […]

It wasn’t just (Matthew) Dellavedova. Iman Shumpert had 13 points and seven rebounds, Tristan Thompson had 13 points and a series-high 17 rebounds, James Jones made a couple of big 3-pointers early, J.R. Smith had 12 points and eight rebounds… In all, the Cavs placed five scorers in double figures and received 40 points off the bench. Thompson, Jones and Timofey Mozgov combined for 23 of the Cavs’ 33 first-quarter points.

Add it all up and the Cavs won a game – and a series – with (Kyrie) Irving on the bench, LeBron James shooting 7 of 23 and Kevin Love in Cleveland. It was enough to make James, who often says there’s nothing in this league that surprises him, shake his head in wonder. […] “Obviously yes, I’m a little bit surprised because of how we handled the postseason so far,” he said. “These are first timers right here (pointing to Thompson and Dellavedova) as well as Kyrie and Kev before the injury. They want to be good, they want to be great and every single day they prepare the right way and they just go out and they just play with their instincts. They’ve been playing basketball their whole lives and for them to go out there and just put it out there on the floor, I think good things happen to guys that are just true to the game. That’s what we have right now.”

The Cavs won’t play again until Wednesday when the conference finals begin. They’ll either be at Atlanta or home against the Washington Wizards. That should give ample time for guys like Irving and Shumpert to rest injuries. Irving reaggravated his knee when he stepped on Thompson’s foot, but said he’d be ready for Game 1. […] “A week of treatment and then it all just goes down in one play,” Irving said. “My knee kind of buckled and there goes all our treatment out the window.”

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt clarified that LeBron James didn’t necessarily veto his last-second decision in Game 4 of his team’s series with the Chicago Bulls; instead Blatt argued, LeBron “just felt strongly about what a better situation would be” prior to nailing the winning shot. James says his coach is under a massive […]

Blatt didn’t help himself Monday when he said the “150 to 200 critical decisions” made by a basketball coach during the course of a game “I think is paralleled only by a fighter pilot.” With that he entered the danger zone, both professionally and with Photoshop-proficient fans who turned Twitter into the Cleveland Air Show.

When it came to the timeout, he fell on his sword again, just as he had Sunday. With the game tied at 84, associate head coach Tyronn Lue saved him from a technical foul, which would have resulted in a Bulls’ free throw and possession with nine seconds left, by grabbing Blatt before officials could see his signal. The Cavs used three timeouts in a span of three seconds, two on an inbounds play, which apparently usurped the team’s protocol on how to keep track. […] “Usually don’t lose track of ’em,” Blatt said. “Matter of fact, that’s never happened before in my time as a coach. Good thing I had great guys behind me to bail me out and then a great player to bail us all out with a terrific shot.”

“He didn’t veto the play. He just felt strongly about what a better situation would be,” Blatt said of James. “As it turned out that was the right thing. It could have been the right thing the other way, too.” […] James said Monday what he did was no different than “a great quarterback calling an audible.” He acknowledged the scrutiny that comes with anyone around him, the same scrutiny that plagued Kevin Love before his postseason-ending shoulder surgery. “He’s catching heat because he’s coaching me. That’s all,” James said. “Whoever is associated with me catches heat.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-says-david-blatt-catching-heat-because-hes-coaching-me/feed/0SLAMonlineTony Allen Criticizes the Bulls’ Defense at the End of Game 4http://www.slamonline.com/nba/tony-allen-criticizes-the-bulls-defense-at-the-end-of-game-4/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/tony-allen-criticizes-the-bulls-defense-at-the-end-of-game-4/#respondMon, 11 May 2015 15:25:32 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=358673

Memphis Grizzlies defensive ace Tony Allen tuned in Sunday afternoon for the epic conclusion to Game 4 between Chicago and Cleveland, and was critical of the Bulls’ defensive effort as LeBron James dramatically ended things at the buzzer. Allen questioned what Jimmy Butler (checking ‘Bron) and Taj Gibson (guarding the inbound passer) were doing with […]

Memphis Grizzlies defensive ace Tony Allen tuned in Sunday afternoon for the epic conclusion to Game 4 between Chicago and Cleveland, and was critical of the Bulls’ defensive effort as LeBron James dramatically ended things at the buzzer.

Allen questioned what Jimmy Butler (checking ‘Bron) and Taj Gibson (guarding the inbound passer) were doing with the game on the line.

Mr. FIRST TEAM ALL-DEFENSE has since deleted his tweets, but the Internet captures all.

He(Jimmy ) was Standing straight up before the play even started & what Taj doing putting pressure on delladova.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season practically on the line Sunday, David Blatt’s decision for someone other than the world’s greatest player to take the game’s final shot was quickly overruled by LeBron James. King James demanded the rock and drilled a deep baseline fadeaway to give the Cavs a dramatic 86-84 win, and evened up […]

With the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season practically on the line Sunday, David Blatt’s decision for someone other than the world’s greatest player to take the game’s final shot was quickly overruled by LeBron James.

LeBron James watched his coach draw up the final play — and then drew one up of his own. […] “Give me the ball and get out of the way,” he said.

During a stoppage the Cavs only got because the officials were reviewing a play, Blatt designed a play that had James taking the ball out. The four-time NBA MVP has been in enough pressure situations that he vetoed his coach. […] “I was supposed to take the ball out,” James said. “I told Coach there was no way I’m taking the ball out unless I could shoot it over the backboard and go in. So I told him, ‘Have somebody else take the ball out.’ The play that was drawn up, I scratched it. I just told Coach, ‘Just give me the ball. We’re either going to go into overtime or I’m going to win it for us.”’

James rolled his left ankle in the third quarter, but fought off the injury. He committed eight turnovers and struggled again from the field, hitting 10 of 30 shots after going 8 of 25 in Game 3. But he also had 14 rebounds, eight assists and a shot that gave Cleveland fans some comfort after Rose broke their hearts on Friday night. […] “There’s nothing you can do about it,” Rose said of James’ contested jumper. “He hit a great shot. He’s a hell of a player. We just have to make sure that if we’re in that position again, just make sure that we force him out a little bit more or make someone else get the ball.”

The Cavaliers are down 2-1 to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with a huge Game 4 looming on Sunday afternoon. So what did the Cavs do to get ready? Well, Saturday head coach David Blatt cancelled the team’s practice, instead opting for yoga at the team hotel.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/cavs-cancelled-practice-on-saturday-held-group-yoga-session-instead/feed/02014 NBAEIman Shumpert May Not Play in Game 3 vs Bullshttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/iman-shumpert-may-not-play-in-game-3-vs-bulls/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/iman-shumpert-may-not-play-in-game-3-vs-bulls/#respondFri, 08 May 2015 13:30:52 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=358437

The Cleveland Cavaliers will welcome back J.R. Smith from a two-game suspension Friday night, but according to Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt, “there’s a chance” Iman Shumpert will sit out Game 3 in Chicago against the Bulls. Shumpert suffered a left groin strain in the Cavs’ 106-91 victory in Game 2. Shumpert has averaged […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers will welcome back J.R. Smith from a two-game suspension Friday night, but according to Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt, “there’s a chance” Iman Shumpert will sit out Game 3 in Chicago against the Bulls.

Shumpert suffered a left groin strain in the Cavs’ 106-91 victory in Game 2.

Shumpert has averaged 18.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in the first two games of the series.

Per the News-Herald:

Blatt said after the Game 2 victory Shumpert might need one of those “miracle 48-hour recoveries.” […] “(He’s) feeling a little bit better than we originally expected and that’s a positive, but we’re monitoring (it) and hoping that he’ll continue to progress,” Blatt said.

“First thing is that let’s hope he’s healthy and he’s able to play significant minutes, probably part of that will be determined by how healthy he is or not,” Blatt said. “But the good news is that we got J.R. coming back and J.R. has done great work for us this year. We’re hopeful we have the both of them because we need them.”

Smith averaged 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in the sweep of the Celtics. […] “J.R. for us has been a high-level, two-way performer,” Blatt said. “He’s given us a contribution at both ends of the court. Obviously, he’s a great 3-point shooter, and he’s a courageous offensive player. He’s not afraid to take responsibility and he’s not afraid to take big shots. It’s good to have a guy with that kind of confidence and that kind of courage.”

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt was named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month April 1, though some would argue that LeBron James deserves some of those votes. Both Blatt and James acknowledged that LeBron calls plays on the floor, and the coach doesn’t sound too threatened by James’ autonomy and intelligence. LeBron did […]

When the media entered the practice facility on Wednesday, James was seen introducing Blatt and the coaching staff to a couple of new plays he suggested they consider implementing. […] The coaches were spread out on the court and James was directing them in where the ball should move. Blatt along with assistants Tyronn Lue, Jim Boylan, Larry Drew and Phil Handy were paying close attention.

“It’s just a feel I have for the game,” James said. “I know what helps our team and we’ve got great minds. Our coaching staff is great. I thank them that they allow me to give some input on what I think we should do at times, but, ultimately, it’s their call. So, it’s great to be able to just get different sides of the game with some of the great minds that we have.” […] “If I see something, I have the right to call plays,” he said. “Kyrie (Irving) does as well. We kind of do that play-calling. Coach Blatt does the play-calling, obviously, throughout the game in timeouts. But it’s great to be able to have some type of freedom out there with Kyrie to be able to call sets that we feel best suit our team.”

Blatt said having James call some plays is not out of the ordinary. […] “I don’t think that’s peculiar,” he said. “When the game is going on and you are in the heat of the battle, at times you can’t get a message through or you don’t want to stop the flow so a guy may (make a call). We have a package that we’re going to use going in and, at times, according to the flow of the game, somebody may call out a play. I don’t think that’s unusual, certainly if you know what you’re doing and we have a plan going in. That’s, obviously, not an all-the-time case, but it’s going to happen during the course of a game, sure.”

David Blatt’s first season as an NBA head coach has been an eye-opener, and the conventional wisdom remains that he has a long way to go before earning the trust and respect of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the team’s superstar. LeBron James, having grown frustrated with the selfish play of the Cavs’ young stars early […]

David Blatt’s first season as an NBA head coach has been an eye-opener, and the conventional wisdom remains that he has a long way to go before earning the trust and respect of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the team’s superstar.

LeBron James, having grown frustrated with the selfish play of the Cavs’ young stars early on in the season, moved himself into the point guard role and essentially took over the offense—Cleveland has since accumulated the L’s best record since mid-January.

According to ESPN (via Deadspin), LeBron decides what plays Cleveland runs and Blatt has no choice but to repeat them to the rest of the squad: :

The Princeton offense that David Blatt installed in the preseason, they just threw that out. What typically happens—and this has been happening for like three months now—is LeBron will take the ball, and LeBron will call the play.

David Blatt will see what play LeBron calls, and he will repeat it to the team. That happens on a regular basis.

Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love made his media rounds Monday as he promoted his partnership with Chocolate Milk, and he had plenty to say regarding his highly-scrutinized role in Cleveland. Love diplomatically said that he’s OK with being occasionally benched at crunch time—the Cavs are 3-1 this season with Love watching from the bench in […]

“A lot of the times, if you look out on the floor when that’s happened, it’s been matchups,” Love said Monday. “So whether it’s been James Jones being out there or Tristan Thompson, us going big, us playing the 5 man, which happened [Sunday], and LeBron playing the 4 and guarding a guy like [Ersan] Ilyasova out there, it just changes the dynamic of the game, and we happened to be rolling at the end of the third quarter all the way into the fourth. […] So I think it’s on me to try to do what’s best for the team and always be a consummate professional throughout this entire process.”

“Just knowing that it’s for the greater good,” Love said. “If we have a chance at the end of the year to hoist that Larry O’Brien Trophy, then it’s all been worth it. I think there’s been times this season, naturally, that I fought it, but then seeing the end result, it kind of changes everything. Had it been different, then maybe I would have felt some different kind of way. But knowing that my teammates have my back, Coach [David Blatt] knows that I’m going to be a pro going out there every single night, and I’m just trying to find different ways to affect this team. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”

“It’s fine,” Love said of his relationship with James. “You know, we’re not best friends, we’re not hanging out every day, but we see each other every day, whether at the practice facility, whether on the road or going to a game. I think our relationship is also evolving. I can say the same with each and every coach, Coach Blatt and each and every player on the team. But that’s part of the NBA.” […] Love was asked about James posting an Instagram photo after the Milwaukee game with him and several teammates — with Love absent from the shot — and labelling the group his “clique.” […] “I’m sure that he’s going to add me in the next picture. We’ll see,” Love said with a laugh.

The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a 106-92 loss Monday night to the Miami Heat, but their head coach wants them to remain focused on the finish line. David Blatt has set a goal for his squad to finish with the second-best record in the East, only behind the conference-leading Atlanta Hawks. LeBron James, however, places little […]

LeBron James, however, places little importance in Playoff seeding (Cleveland is now two games ahead of Toronto for the No.2 seed.)

Per ESPN:

“We got to finish in second place,” Blatt said Monday after the Cavs’ 106-92 loss to the Miami Heat.

Blatt was asked whether he would be willing to rest players over the Cavs’ last 13 games of the regular season, much the way Kevin Love sat out against the Heat and against the Orlando Magic on Sunday, at the risk of falling in playoff positioning. […] “So we’re thinking about that,” Blatt continued. “Where and if there is an opportunity to rest guys, we will.”

LeBron James, who played against the Heat with a tweaked right knee, bothersome lower back and previously sprained right wrist that he reaggravated during a collision with Hassan Whiteside, continued to prioritize health over seeding for his team. […] “The coaching staff, if that’s what they want, but for me, I never play for seeding. I just play,” he said. “And wherever at the end of the season we land, I’m ready. Just get me in the playoffs. Get me in the playoffs, I feel like I can win on anybody’s floor. I feel like I can win at home. I’m that confident in my ability and our team’s ability. So I’ve never in my 12-year career played for seeding. That’s just not how I work.”

Late Saturday night, LeBron James sent out a cryptic tweet about the positives of fitting in. Stop trying to find a way to FIT-OUT and just FIT-IN. Be apart of something special! Just my thoughts — LeBron James (@KingJames) February 8, 2015 After some prodding by the media, James admitted that the message was aimed […]

That looked eerily similar to Love’s comments from October when he was discussing his early days with his new team and the team flight to Brazil for a preseason game against the Miami Heat. […] “I’m comfortable and just not trying to, I guess, fit in so much,” Love said. “I had a talk with the guys on the plane ride over [to Brazil] and also at different practices off the floor and they told me to fit out. Just be myself.”

“It was more about people in general,” James told a large group of reporters. “It was a general thought I had. Obviously whatever thought I have people try to encrypt it and Da Vinci code it and all that stuff. People are always trying to fit out instead of fit in and be part of something special. That’s what it’s all about.” […] Yet after the formal interview session, James was shown Love’s quote from October and smiled. When pressed on the coincidence a few moments later to a smaller handful of reporters, James laughed, “It’s not a coincidence, man.”

Love recalled his “fit out/fit in” remark from October, but was unaware of James’ tweet until a reporter showed it to him after Sunday’s game. […] “I feel like I’ve done all the right things. I haven’t got upset or been down,” Love said. “There’s moments when I hope I would’ve played better but it’s a long, long season. I don’t know really what he’s talking about. I feel like I’ve sacrificed and I think everyone knows that. I’m not trying to downplay what he said, but I think I’ve done a pretty good job of trying to help this team.”

Another day, and another fire for Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt to put out. Blatt referred to a story alleging that associate head coach Tyronn Lue has called timeouts behind his back when things haven’t gone right for the struggling Cavs as “nonsense”. Blatt insists that despite all of the drama, things are just […]

“That’s a lot of nonsense and I think it’s kind of cheap, to be honest with you,” Blatt said before his team took the floor for shootaround on the campus of UCLA.

“If you know Ty, he’s a very vocal and active guy. An assistant coach can’t call a timeout in an NBA game, if you didn’t know that,” he said. “Now if he sees something, feels something and yells something out to alert me what he thinks, I don’t have a problem with that. I listen to what I think I need to listen to and what I don’t think I need to listen to.”

Blatt, we’re told, sought out Lue on his own accord and convinced the young coach to interview for his staff, which Lue obliged. Impressed with his comprehension and understanding of the game, Blatt approached management to urge them to find a way to secure Lue’s services. […] “He’s the first assistant here and he has a very big role,” Blatt explained. “He’s a great (assistant) to me, both in terms of his experience in the league and in terms of his knowledge of the game and I lean on all of the assistants very heavily. Quite honestly I welcome what they bring to the table. I encourage it and I benefit from it.”

Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson’s contract situation remains in limbo, but the back-end machinations are nonetheless fascinating. The 23-year old, with averages so far this season of 9.7 points and 7.6 rebounds in 39 games, reportedly turned down a four-year, $52 million contract extension offer. (Thompson is in line to become a restricted free […]

And because no news item on the Cavs would be complete without some coaching drama, there are loud whispers that Mark Jackson could potentially replace embattled first-year bench boss David Blatt.

Per Yahoo! Sports:

So far, the Cavaliers have witnessed LeBron James, the businessman. As much as ever, the Cavs discovered that the opening week of the regular season in contract talks on forward Tristan Thompson, with the Oct. 31 deadline approaching for the draft class of 2011 rookie extensions looming. James’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, represents Thompson. […] Within the NBA, officials expected maybe $10 million a year, perhaps $12 million if Klutch wanted to push it. Well, they kept pushing it. Thompson turned down a $13 million-a-year extension offer – four-years, $52 million, league sources said.

Whatever James’ agenda on the coaching front, there were those who believed they had it pegged back in the summer. It was no accident Mark Jackson left one of the most powerful agents in basketball to become a client of Paul’s. Paul had no coaching clients, but immense leverage within the Cavaliers. To hear Jackson overpraising James and the team’s talent on television – even defending James on giving Blatt a tepid public endorsement – delivers light in itself to this alliance.

Before James signed as a free agent, the Cavaliers management wanted nothing to do with Jackson as a coach. They did their research and had their answers. Now, they understand the reality: If James won’t play for the coach, what choice do they have there? James wouldn’t be left to pay the buyout on Blatt’s contract, nor the luxury tax on Thompson’s extension. It’ll simply be Klutch Sports gathering the commissions on Jackson’s and Thompson’s deals.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ season, which had begun with so much hope and promise, has turned into an inextinguishable house fire. They’ve lost 9 of their last ten games, and sit one game below .500 at 19-20. And despite public assurances from the front-office, questions continue to be raised about first-year head coach David Blatt’s job […]

Rumors of a growing disconnect between not only Blatt and his star-studded team, but also his own coaching staff, have plagued the franchise all season long.

Reportedly, influential — and highly-paid — lead assistant coach Tyronn Lue has been calling timeouts without Blatt’s approval (and seems to have the players’ ear much moreso than his superior.)

Per ESPN:

It isn’t just the casinos that are agape at how this is playing out — the Cavs were 4-15 in their past 19 games against the spread coming in to Tuesday — so are league scouts, executives and rival players.

They see players appearing to run different plays than the bench calls, see assistant coach Tyronn Lue calling timeouts literally behind Blatt’s back during games, and hear Cavs players openly talking about coaching issues with opposing players and personnel. Not once, not twice, but frequently over the past several months.

For weeks now, the small talk when league personnel run into each other at college games, airports or pregame meals has frequently started with: “What the hell is going on in Cleveland?”

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt went into full damage control mode with the media following practice Monday, after landing in some hot water by strangely claiming that Kevin Love isn’t a max-level player yet. Blatt says the press twisted his words, and that he was simply discussing the nitty-gritty details of the All-Star forward’s […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt went into full damage control mode with the media following practice Monday, after landing in some hot water by strangely claiming that Kevin Love isn’t a max-level player yet.

Love and his coach discussed the issue, and both say it’s water under the bridge.

Per the Akron Beacon Journal:

“My comment was either misunderstood or misconstrued,” Blatt said Monday after practice. “I was simply saying that with our team he does not have a max contract because we’re not allowed to talk to him about anything until after the season is over.”

Blatt said he addressed his comments with Love, who wasn’t upset by it. […] “I wanted to get the context of it all,” Love said. “Once I got the context and what he was talking about, he’s right. We can’t talk about anything about this summer or contracts or anything of that nature so I just let it roll off.”

“Kevin Love to me is a player of the highest order,” Blatt said Monday. “Whether you want to define that by max contract or any other thing, he’s one of the best players in the NBA.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers were blown out 103-84 Sunday night by the Sacramento Kings. With an injured LeBron James continuing to look on from the bench, the Cavs still haven’t figured things out, despite the other two All-Stars on the floor. (Cleveland has dropped five in a row, falling to .500 at 19-19 and is just […]

“Kev’s not a max player yet, is he?” Cavaliers coach David Blatt said Sunday night. […] It was a response to my question, although, really, I hadn’t yet asked anything and had merely stated that James was out but Irving and Love were still here, and they’re “max” players.

Blatt was technically correct — Love’s four-year, $61 million contract is not a “max” deal because he didn’t sign for a full five years in 2012. But his yearly salary was the maximum when he signed. […] It’s highly unlikely Blatt meant to disparage Love, although it’s unclear why, in that moment, Blatt would choose to challenge the finer points of Love’s contract when a broader point was being made.

Love is unlikely to sign long term this summer because of the salary cap. He is expected to opt out of his current contract at the end of the season for cap purposes, but he might only sign a one-year deal to line up for what is expected to be a significant cap spike in the summer of 2016. […] Love has said all the right things about re-signing with the Cavs this summer and the Cavs continue to insist he’s here long term. Executives around the league, however, continue to believe Love could leave Cleveland at the end of the season. We’ll see. There is still a long way to go.

With rumors swirling about head coach David Blatt potentially being on the hot seat in Cleveland, Cavaliers general manager David Griffin came out and said that it’s all hogwash. Griffin put his support behind the embattled first-year coach, saying that Blatt isn’t in trouble despite the Cavs’ struggles. The injury-riddled Cavaliers are off to a […]

Griffin, speaking to reporters before Sunday’s game against Dallas, called scrutiny about Blatt’s job status “ridiculous” and said he isn’t giving the rookie head coach a vote of confidence because “he never needed one.”

Griffin also took issue with reports that LeBron James, who is sidelined with knee and back soreness, is unhappy with Blatt and said the narrative about the coach’s job is over. […] “It’s a non-story,” Griffin said. “Coach Blatt is our coach. He’s going to remain our coach.”

“I heard the entire audio file of LeBron James’ comments,” Griffin said. “No more than three different times he said, ‘we are growing together every day, the team grows together every day and I am happy with who we have at the helm,’ But that wasn’t a sexy pull quote so we kept looking for something else until we could pull something that sounded negative,” Griffin said. “That narrative is done. No change is being made, period.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/cavs-gm-david-blatts-job-safe/feed/0SLAMonlineLeBron James Says There is No Feud With Coach David Blatthttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-says-feud-coach-david-blatt/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-says-feud-coach-david-blatt/#respondTue, 30 Dec 2014 16:30:39 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=344530

When asked about a reported chasm between Cleveland players and Cavaliers head coach David Blatt, LeBron James pooh-poohed the story as a bunch of media-created nonsense. James offered a tepid endorsement for his embattled coach, but insists that things are fine within the locker room. All-Star point guard teammate Kyrie Irving was much more forthcoming […]

All-Star point guard teammate Kyrie Irving was much more forthcoming with his support for Blatt.

Per the Akron Beacon Journal:

“Yeah, he’s our coach,” James said when asked after practice on Monday if he thought Blatt was the right coach for the Cavs. “I mean, what other coach do we have? We have our head coach — Coach Blatt — and we have our assistants. They put together a game plan for us to go out and succeed every night.”

“Listen, man. I don’t pay no bills around here, man,” James said. “I’m happy who we have at our helm. He’s our coach. For it to make a feud between me and Blatt or the team and Blatt is just a sell. That’s all it is, it’s just a sell to get people to read it and put something at the bottom of the ticker, that’s all it is. It’s funny, you can write those same things when we win, too. You just write them when we lose because it looks better.”

“I’ll do anything for Coach Blatt,” Irving said, “and I know players feel the same thing.”

Just thirty games into the grand experiment in Cleveland, and there are already whispers about Cavaliers head coach David Blatt potentially squirming on an increasingly hot seat. The Cavs (18-12) were blown out at home Sunday night by the Detroit Pistons, and questions are being raised about Blatt’s ability to guide his star-studded team. (LeBron […]

“No, I can do it on my own,” James said of his role change. “I’m passed those days where I have to ask.”)

Per ESPN:

There is a growing level of worry within the Cleveland Cavaliers organization about first-year coach David Blatt and his ability to reach the team, according to league sources. […] Sources said that there is rising concern in team circles about the level of response Blatt is getting on the floor, with Blatt himself acknowledging that the Cavaliers “lost our energy and we lost our competitiveness” in Sunday night’s embarrassing home loss to Detroit.

Blatt was indeed asked Sunday at his postgame news conference if he is worried himself that he might be losing control of the team. He responded: “I’m not concerned about that at all. I’m more concerned with how we’re playing.”

“You know, we’re going through a few things right now,” Blatt said Sunday night. “We’ve lost some pretty important players. … At that point that you have to be more competitive, and more determined, and fight your way through that or else this happens. It’s not an excuse, it’s just an explanation for your question. That’s the reality of it. We didn’t fight enough to battle the difficulties that we’ve had.”

LeBron James sat out Thursday night’s matchup with the OKC Thunder due to a sore left knee, but his coach says there’s nothing to be concerned about. David Blatt gave LeBron the night off, as the Cavs went down 103-94 to the Thunder. James looked strong in his last game, dropping 35 points on the […]

“I really don’t believe we have any kind of serious situation on our hands, just some soreness,” Blatt said, prior to Cleveland’s 103-94 loss to the Thunder.

The last game James played – Tuesday night’s 105-101 win over Toronto – was his best scoring game in weeks. He poured in 35 points, including a dagger three-pointer late that tied a franchise record for career three-pointers with Mark Price at 802. […] But Blatt said after that game James “felt some soreness in the back of his knee,” a soreness the coach said was “nothing major.” James is listed as “questionable” for the Cavaliers’ game Friday in New Orleans.

“It is my concern in as far as I understand the desire of the people to see one of the great players in history,” James said of the canceled James-Kevin Durant showdown. “It’s no desire on our part to disappoint them, it’s just the reality of the NBA season.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/david-blatt-lebron-james-sore-knee-nothing-major/feed/0SLAMonlineDavid Blatt: ‘Kevin Love is Playing the Best Defense of His Career’http://www.slamonline.com/nba/david-blatt-kevin-love-playing-best-defense-career/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/david-blatt-kevin-love-playing-best-defense-career/#respondMon, 01 Dec 2014 19:50:35 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=341680

Coming into this season, everyone knew that the Cleveland Cavaliers would be a great offensive team. It’s the defense that gave fans and media pause. Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving have never been considered defensive stalwarts, but both All-Stars are working hard to change that perception. Irving has accepted the challenge of slowing down opposing […]

“In general, I would like to say, I think Kevin Love is playing the best defense of his career so far,” Blatt said. “He can get better like all of us can, but he’s doing a good job. He’s buying into the system, into the principles, and he needs to continue to do that and we need to continue to involve him in the way that we are.”

While Irving wasn’t shy about his desire to become a “great defender,” Love seems to know his limitations. […] “I’ve never really been known for that in my career,” Love said. “Being a lockdown defender is something that I know I’ll never be, but as far as being a team defender, being in the right spots, being physical, doing those things, I can get a lot better at that and just continue to break down film and see where I can get better out there. So yeah, I think it’s something that I can continue to buy into and get better at.”

“I think [defense] is an area that I need to focus on and get better at,” Love said. “I think everybody has an opportunity to refine their game and get better in certain places, and for me, yeah, it could be that end of the floor.”

Late last week, John Wall torched the Cleveland Cavaliers to the tune of 28 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Kyrie Irving, who didn’t guard Wall for the entire 91-78 Washington Wizards victory on national TV, has requested more defensive responsibility from the Cavs’ coaching staff. Cleveland will have a chance to avenge the loss […]

Cleveland will have a chance to avenge the loss Wednesday night as they play host to the Wizards, and Irving says he’s ready for the challenge of slowing down burgeoning backcourt stars like Wall and others.

Per the NOMG:

“They had us on our heels all game last time,” LeBron James said after Wednesday’s shootaround. “They were more physical than us, played with more passion, more speed than us. They executed better than us. They did all the facets of the game. The only thing they didn’t do better than us was turn the ball over. We did that better than them.”

“Based on the lineup, whatever our team needs, if one person gets going whether it be the one or two, I’m going to guard them,” Irving said. “It’s just more or less a personal challenge. It takes a team effort to guard everybody and for me, I’m either on the one or the two. We just have to figure that out.”

Irving said he had a chat with the coaching staff and asked not to be reassigned. […] “I told them that whenever I have a chance to guard the point guards, just leave me on him and we have our two guards guard the twos,” he revealed. “I just have to do the job at stopping the head of the snake.”

Kevin Love called Monday night’s matchup between Cleveland and Orlando a “must-win” affair, and the Cavs certainly played like it in their 106-74 laugher against the Magic. LeBron James led the way with 29 points and 11 dimes, as Cleveland broke out of its four-game losing streak. Head coach David Blatt didn’t agree with James’ […]

“LeBron James is the greatest player that I’ve ever coached and I’ve ever seen,” Blatt said Monday, prior to the Cavaliers’ home game against the Orlando Magic, when asked if he agreed with James’ critical assessment of himself from earlier in the day.

“And he’s a man and a fine man, and I don’t pay a lot of attention to what’s being said and not being said,” Blatt said. “Every day I wake up and I say thank goodness I get a chance to coach that guy. And I say to myself every day that I got a do a better job coaching that guy and help him to be everything that he is.”

James averaged 18.5 points in Cleveland’s four losses last week – his lowest point total over a four-game stretch in three seasons — and is second in the league in turnovers. He also noticeably sulked and missed some defensive assignments in the last two games.

The Cleveland Cavaliers need Kevin Love to be aggressive on the offensive end of the floor, and the world knows how much more involved he’d like to be. LeBron James hears Love’s complaints loud and clear, but he’s putting the onus on his All-Star teammate to come up with a solution. James says the Cavs […]

“It’s the demand,” James said, weighing in on the 6-foot-10 Love’s stated discomfort in the Cavaliers’ offense through 10 games. “Kevin’s a guy, if he wants the ball in the post, he gets it in the post. If he demands it, we’ll give it to him.”

Fifty-six of Love’s 131 shots have been three-pointers this year. He’s on pace to shoot 459 threes, which would not be a career high. He’s also on pace for 1,074 shots, which would be the second most of his seven-year career. […] Compared with James (25.9 ppg) and Kyrie Irving (21.9 ppg), though, Love is having the most trouble assimilating as part of Cleveland’s new Big Three.

“It’s a feel-out process for all of us,” James said. “It’s a little more challenging for (Love) than it is for me and Kyrie because we get to handle the ball a little bit more, and him being a big guy we have to give him the ball when he has his opportunities. He has to make the most out of them.”

On Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost a nationally-televised matchup against the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs 92-90, and Kevin Love only managed 10 points. The All-Star forward admitted that he’s frustrated with the steep learning curve in the new offense, but maintains a confidence that things will eventually work themselves out for the […]

“It’s come to a point where I’m just trying to find myself in this offense,” Love said after his lowest scoring output this season. “It’s almost related to when you come into the league; usually the guys that dominate the ball so much tend to learn a lot quicker than a guy like myself, a big man. So, I’m just trying to find different spots in the offense.

“I’ll just say we’re 10 games in, we’re looking at different stuff. I need to find myself. I think everybody knew coming in that we’d have to sacrifice, but at some point we’re going to need some low-post scoring and some outside shooting.”

Love was sure to mention his part in allowing Boris Diaw (19 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds) and Tim Duncan (19 points, 10 rebounds) to go off, but his thoughts ultimately settled on his inconsistent role in the offense. […] “Both ends of the floor, I think I need to step up, but as far as getting into a rhythm, it’s been tough,” Love said.

The All-Star trio in Cleveland of LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving is averaging roughly 38 minutes per game, and LeBron thinks that’s way too much this early on in the season. Cavaliers head coach David Blatt talked about finding more rest for James during training camp, and says he’ll start trimming his stars’ […]

The All-Star trio in Cleveland of LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving is averaging roughly 38 minutes per game, and LeBron thinks that’s way too much this early on in the season.

Cavaliers head coach David Blatt talked about finding more rest for James during training camp, and says he’ll start trimming his stars’ playing time.

LeBron figures the Cavs’ bench unit will benefit from the main guys’ added rest.

Per the Akron Beacon Journal:

“That has to come down,” James said Tuesday after practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts. “For me I don’t want to do that all year. Obviously right now it’s difficult because we’re trying to find a groove and we’re trying to find a rhythm and we’re trying to find something that you can’t really … you don’t want to shortcut it. But at the same time, you’ve got to be smart about it.

“I don’t mind giving some of my minutes up just to help the team and help my minutes go down. I think it’s for the best.”

Cavs coach David Blatt said he will try to incorporate a new philosophy starting with Wednesday night’s game against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs at Quicken Loans Arena. […] “I really think that it might be a good idea for our guys to play some shorter stretches harder rather than longer stretches,” Blatt said.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters crusade to start lasted all of three games. David Blatt started bringing Waiters off the bench last week, and so far, it’s proven to be a success (he had 17 points in 24 minutes of burn against the Denver Nuggets in a road win Friday night.) LeBron James, the Cavs’ […]

“For the best of the team, that should be Dion’s role,” James said. “Dion comes off the bench and brings us that scoring mentality but more than that, he brings us another defender off the bench, which we need. Someone that’s tough, someone that can guard one through three. It’s a new role, but it’s a good role for him.”

“I got to do whatever I got to do for the better of the team,” Waiters said. “If it’s starting, if it’s coming off the bench, if it’s the water boy, I got to do it. Whatever is best for the team.”

Waiters has had a different coach in each of his three seasons. Due to that instability, establishing a role hasn’t been easy for him, and it’s why Blatt made sure he went out of his way to praise the efforts of his scoring guard Friday night. […] “I thought he had a terrific game today, and I told him so in the locker room,” Blatt said. “Because he came in and did exactly what we needed him to do from the bench: Score the ball, he played hard and right.”

Things don’t look all that great for the Cleveland Cavaliers at the moment. The star-studded Cavs have lost three of their first four games, there’s some mild bickering in the locker room and not everyone understands (or is particularly thrilled with) their new roles. But it’s early. Very early. LeBron James wisely advised the hoops […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ season is turning into the overly-scrutinized circus we all knew it would inevitably become. Following a 19-point loss Tuesday night in Portland, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving reportedly jawed at one another about the Cavs’ sputtering offense. (LeBron apparently also shot his young teammate a look “in disgust” following a blown defensive […]

And though James was pleased with Irving’s 34-point performance Wednesday night in a defeat to the Utah Jazz, LeBron is still unhappy about the way his team is playing.

Per ESPN:

The discussion was seen as healthy, sources said, with the veteran James voicing concerns about the direction of the Cavs’ offense. James scored just 11 points against the Blazers and did not score in the second half, and he was often not a part of the offense. Cleveland is off to a 1-3 start following a last-second loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.

James addressed Irving to discuss the way he’d been dominating the ball in the early going of the season. Irving is averaging just 3.8 assists thus far. He scored 34 points in the 102-100 loss Wednesday to the Jazz but had no assists in 45 minutes of playing time. […] Irving hasn’t had an assist in more than six quarters, and he’s taken 36 shots in that span. The Cavs tied a franchise-record low with six assists, four of them from James, against the Jazz.

“For us, it was a growing process that we have to go through,” Irving said Wednesday. “It sucks right now. For us, we’re still young, and I’m still learning what’s going on.” […] “Well, I mean, as far as [Irving’s] scoring, it was big time. He made all the shots we needed to keep us in the game,” James said (about Irving’s play against Utah.) “He made some great plays down the stretch, finished above the rim. It was great.”

Despite mounting a furious second half comeback Wednesday night in Utah, the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered their third loss in four games. The Cavs tied a dubious franchise mark with just six assists against the Jazz, and their offense is clearly not in synch yet. Head coach David Blatt reportedly wants LeBron James and Kevin Love […]

David Blatt tried to establish the Cavs’ food chain during Wednesday’s film session and team meeting. According to a source with knowledge of the meeting, Blatt essentially told the players that LeBron James and Kevin Love eat first and that it’s Kyrie Irving’s job as point guard to feed them. Irving can then find his own rhythm after the first two guys get going.

Yet when Wednesday’s game ended, Irving had 34 points, 0 assists and led the team in shots (23). Love, meanwhile, was 2-for-10. He didn’t have a basket after the first quarter and he only took five shots in the second half (missed them all). He did, however, go 9-for-11 from the free-throw line.

Here was Irving’s response when asked if only six assists is a concern: “No, no, no. We have great players on this team. Sometimes things happen in the game and you have to take it – me and Bron saw that at the end of the game. We gave guys ample opportunities, guys just weren’t hitting. Especially when we were going swing-swing action.” […] And here’s James: “There’s no way you can win a basketball game like that, just having six assists. We just can’t win like that. We have to figure out a way to help each other and not make it so tough.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/report-david-blatt-wants-lebron-james-kevin-love-eat-first/feed/0SLAMonlineDion Waiters Doesn’t Want to Be a Catch-and-Shoot Player for the Cavshttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/dion-waiters-doesnt-want-catch-shoot-player-cavs/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/dion-waiters-doesnt-want-catch-shoot-player-cavs/#respondWed, 05 Nov 2014 21:40:25 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=339338

LeBron James was busy preaching about playing unselfishly and breaking out of bad habits following a road loss Tuesday night, but not all of his Clevealand Cavaliers teammates may be ready to fully listen just yet. Guard Dion Waiters fought for his place in the team’s starting lineup, and figured he was in for an […]

LeBron James was busy preaching about playing unselfishly and breaking out of bad habits following a road loss Tuesday night, but not all of his Clevealand Cavaliers teammates may be ready to fully listen just yet.

It has been made clear to me in recent days by Cavs deep thinkers they’d like Waiters to really concentrate on two areas: defending like crazy and shooting catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. Waiters’ catch-and-shoot numbers last season were much better than I would’ve predicted: He made 42 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts last season (72-for-173). That ranked 35th in the league (minimum 100 attempts), which was higher than Kevin Love (40 percent) and [Kyrie] Irving (32 percent).

So when Waiters stayed behind after the team’s morning shootaround Tuesday and worked out for another 40 minutes, after the bus and rest of the players were long gone, it wasn’t surprising to watch him working primarily on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. Yet when I asked him about focusing on that this season, he dismissed it.

“That’s not my game,” he said. “I can do it, but you know what I’m effective at: pick-and-roll and things like that.”

In a 19-point road loss Tuesday night to the Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar forward LeBron James managed just 11 points on twelve shot attempts, as he focused on getting others involved in the offense. And try as he might to inspire his teammates to play unselfishly, James says it will take a while. […]

In a 19-point road loss Tuesday night to the Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar forward LeBron James managed just 11 points on twelve shot attempts, as he focused on getting others involved in the offense.

“There’s a lot of bad habits, a lot of bad habits been built up the past couple years,” James said. “When you play that style of basketball, it takes a lot to get it up out of you.”

“I’m trying to do other things, to try to instill what it takes to win,” James said. “My mission is not a one-game thing. We have to do multiple things to win. […] I think a lot of people get it misconstrued on what it takes to win, you know just scoring or just going out and trying to will it yourself,” he added.

“A lot of guys that’s gonna help us win ultimately haven’t played a lot of meaningful basketball games in our league,” James said.

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost the first game of the Second LeBron Era, and All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving blamed himself for the team’s disjointed play on offense. Irving admits that he did not have full command of the show, and that he needs to do a better job of communicating with head coach David Blatt. […]

James called his own play “careless” (17 points, 8 turnovers) in the 95-90 defeat Thursday night to the visiting New York Knicks; Irving led the way for the Cavs with 22 points and 7 assists, but also committed four turnovers.

Per ESPN:

“For us, it’s just a better communication between me and Coach Blatt,” Irving said. “That’s basically what it boils down to. I’m his point guard out there, and some things that I see, you know, he has plays in his mind and I have plays in my mind as well.

“We’re just going to continue to grow. It’s a process. Within practice, we kind of switch on and off [calling the plays], but for us it’s about what’s going on out there on the court and what he sees and what I see, and hopefully we can get on the same page pretty soon.”

“We got static, without question,” Blatt said. “We’re good when we move the ball. We’re really good when we move the ball. And when we play without motion and without ball energy, I like to call it, then that’s what it looks like. That is exactly what happened.” […] “It starts with me and my patience in the half court and the full court,” Irving said. “There were some plays that we were running, just what I see out there and exploiting mismatches and trying to do the best I can on making this team go.”

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt is trying to manage expectations for his team, though it’s likely in vain. Oddsmakers and most observers consider the Cavs the team to beat in the NBA this season, but Blatt insists that there are too many other great squads worthy of being in the conversation. That being said, […]

That being said, a team featuring LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving will have a very large target on its back.

Per ESPN:

“Anybody talking about us winning it all, I think they’re being unfair to those great NBA teams that are out there that have either won it or have been there to win it, and also to us as a team that’s talented but new,” Blatt said Tuesday, two days before the Cavs’ season opener Thursday at home against the New York Knicks. “We have a lot of work to do before we can start claiming anything before it’s time.”

According to the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, Cleveland has 5-2 odds to win it all, followed by the San Antonio Spurs (3-1), Oklahoma City Thunder (9-2), Chicago Bulls (6-1) and Los Angeles Clippers (8-1) rounding out the top five.

Just how close does Blatt think the Cavs are from being worthy of championship consideration? […] “We’re going to see,” Blatt said. “Obviously now that the real games are getting started, we’re going to find out. I thought we showed in preseason that we’re a pretty good, competitive group and we played some good teams. But, there’s a big difference between preseason and regular season — we all know that — for everyone. But we got the right kind of personalities and the right kind of character guys to certainly get out there and make an effort every night. We’re talking about being the best team that we can be and progressing day to day and hopefully putting ourselves in a position where we can compete with anyone.”

A couple of days after Kevin Love said he needs the ball inside the paint more often in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ offense, LeBron James and head coach David Blatt addressed the All-Star’s comments. LeBron downplayed the possibility that Love – who put up 14 points a game during the preseason, on 48 percent from the […]

LeBron downplayed the possibility that Love – who put up 14 points a game during the preseason, on 48 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point range – was unhappy with his role, while Blatt promised that he’d get the ball all over the court.

Per the NOMG:

“I think we are all going to go through an adjustment and less touches than we would like. Anytime one of us says something it will get blown out of proportion and I think that got blown out of proportion,” James said following practice on Friday. “I read the clips of what he stressed. The first thing you see is Kevin Love wants more touches and is unhappy, but I’ve had zero reaction.”

“We will get him down in the post more because he is efficient and effective there,” coach David Blatt said. “Kev will get his share of touches and all-over-the-floor opportunities.” […] “Kevin is fine. That is what the preseason is all about,” Blatt said. “The last thing I worry about with Kevin is his shooting. He’s done a very good job defensively in the preseason, which was a concern people had about him. He’s a great player and I’m not concerned whether the ball has been going in consistently or not for him. It will.”

“He will get his touches,” James said. “We need him to get his touches in order to be successful both inside and outside.”

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt plans to be extra-careful with superstar LeBron James’ playing time this season. Blatt says that LeBron’s career average of 39.5 minutes per game is too high for his liking, and that he’d like to keep James on the bench a bit longer going forward. Per the NOMG: “I don’t […]

Blatt says that LeBron’s career average of 39.5 minutes per game is too high for his liking, and that he’d like to keep James on the bench a bit longer going forward.

Per the NOMG:

“I don’t have a number but I am cognizant of the fact and we are conscious of the fact that, certainly early on 39 minutes a game is a lot,” Blatt said following practice Sunday. “We gotta keep our wits about us in terms of thinking long term with LeBron.”

James is the league’s active leader in minutes per game and ranks sixth all time. He averaged about 38 minutes in his four seasons with the Miami Heat and last year logged 37.7 minutes – sixth in the league.

James’ chief running mate in Miami, Dwyane Wade, played about 1,200 fewer minutes last season, placing even more stress on James, who nursed a sore back at times this preseason and early last year. In his 11 pro seasons, he’s added 158 playoff games.

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt’s offense is built in such a way that Kevin Love has often found himself drifting out towards the three-point line. Love — who got what he wanted by being traded to Cleveland, and is now going through the difficult transition — rightfully points out that he’s at his best […]

“My entire life I’ve played the game from inside-out,” Love explained. “So the more touches I can get inside to get myself going, the better. I’m not accustomed to starting out a game shooting a three, so it’s just something that I see.

“I’m 26-years-old and I’ve been playing basketball for quite a long time. Just finding ways to mix it up. If anything, keeping it around the basket a little bit more and the offense will allow me to get offensive rebounds. That will be tough for teams with Andy [Varejao] and myself and Tristan [Thompson] in there.”

“Yeah, the offense is built that way but I just have to make a conscious decision to get myself in there,” Love said. “There are a lot of times where I just find myself fading to the three-point line. For me, it’s a mentality and that’s easy to fix. […] We’ve been putting in stuff like different pin-downs, cut-across and cross-screens to get me open in there. You’ll see a lot more of that during the season. That’s always how I played and I know that coach wants me to play that way, as well.”

Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari negotiated a potential gig with the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer, but ultimately decided to return to Lexington. Calipari claims that turning down the chance to coach the NBA’s latest super-team (and its dollars) is just fine with him.

Miami Heat big man Chris Bosh inadvertently ignited a minor media firestorm this week, when he revealed that he and LeBron James have yet to speak since James left South Beach in July. Bosh walked back his comments Thursday, and said he holds no ill will towards his former teammate (CB sent LeBron and his […]

Miami Heat big man Chris Bosh inadvertently ignited a minor media firestorm this week, when he revealed that he and LeBron James have yet to speak since James left South Beach in July.

Bosh walked back his comments Thursday, and said he holds no ill will towards his former teammate (CB sent LeBron and his wife a gift for their recent baby shower.)

Back to basketball: Chris Bosh went through it during the last four seasons, and seems certain that Kevin Love will find it “extremely” tough adjusting to no longer being The Man, now that he’s suddenly playing alongside two other All-Stars in Cleveland.

Per Bleacher Report:

“Yeah, it’s a lot more difficult taking a step back, because you’re used to doing something a certain way and getting looks a certain way,” Bosh said recently. “And then it’s like, well, no, for the benefit of the team, you have to get it here. […] So even if you do like the left block, the volume of the left block is going to be different. Now you have to make those moves count. So with me, it was like a chess game. I’m doing this move and thinking about the next move and trying to stay five moves ahead. You’re not getting it as much. If you got one or two a game, it’s a lot different.”

“It’s going to be very difficult for him,” Bosh said of Love’s new task. “Even if I was in his corner and I was able to tell him what to expect and what to do, it still doesn’t make any difference. You still have to go through things, you still have to figure out things on your own. It’s extremely difficult and extremely frustrating. He’s going to have to deal with that.”

Bosh noted Love’s previously high allotment of touches down low, where “he’s very, very good at using his body to get his shots off and stuff like that. Like I said before, [in Minnesota] he was able to play that game and set guys up. Now, it’s like, man, do I go to my move? He’s going to have to fight a lot of his instincts.” […] “Everybody says they want to win. But when you start talking about sacrifice and doing what’s right for the team, it’s like, ‘Wait a minute, I didn’t mean that. I want to win, but…’ There’s always a conjunction with that. It’s never what you think it is. And it’s always like your weakest point where you got to do it.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/chris-bosh-kevin-love-will-find-playing-cleveland-difficult-frustrating/feed/0Ken BlazeLeBron James Misses Practice and Will Get More Rest This Seasonhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-misses-practice-will-get-rest-season/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-misses-practice-will-get-rest-season/#respondFri, 03 Oct 2014 19:35:50 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=336089

A common (and fair) criticism of Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra last season, was just how hard he rode LeBron James while Dwyane Wade took plenty of time off. Cleveland Cavaliers bench boss David Blatt is embracing a more Popovichian approach with his superstar. James sat out practice Friday due to his “iffy” back […]

James sat out practice Friday due to his “iffy” back — along with teammate Mike Miller — but he’s expected to suit up for the evening session. Blatt has designs on making this kind of player “maintenance” part of the norm in Cleveland.

Per the Plain Dealer:

“Listen, this is really really insignificant if you ask me in the grand scheme of things if LeBron sits out of practice,” Blatt told reporters after practice. “And I value practice probably more than most. But the fact that we may need to rest him and others at different points during the preparation process, and even during the season in my mind is the right and smart thing to do.”

“Players are here to play, and it’s our job to get them ready and keep them healthy so they can participate in every game,” Blatt said. “It doesn’t always work out that way, and sometimes you have to know how to rest guys without the team being at risk. That’s part of the process.”

“I have yet to meet a basketball player that something doesn’t hurt when he wakes up in the morning. I know I’m barely getting out of bed after 20 years of coaching,” Blatt joked. “[LeBron] like many other guys have some aches and pains, and we’re trying to be sensitive to that.”

Mike Miller described David Blatt’s offense as “borderline genius” during the first full week of Cavaliers training camp. After starring for Billy Donovan at the University of Florida, Miller is now entering his 15th season in the NBA. He has competed in three NBA Finals and 85 post-season games throughout his career. He will continue […]

Mike Miller described David Blatt’s offense as “borderline genius” during the first full week of Cavaliers training camp. After starring for Billy Donovan at the University of Florida, Miller is now entering his 15th season in the NBA. He has competed in three NBA Finals and 85 post-season games throughout his career. He will continue to play a critical role this season for his sixth NBA team.

As a respected and accomplished NBA veteran, Miller describes his new coach’s implementation of the Princeton offense as borderline genius.

But what exactly is it that provokes a long-time NBA professional to describe Blatt’s offensive philosophy in such reverence, so quickly? This was the topic that dominated my Cavaliers’ consciousness this week, so I reached out to three of Miller’s teammates for further details. I asked each player to answer the following two questions:

1. While using only one or two words, how would you describe David Blatt’s offense?

2. Can you explain what you mean by that?

I spoke with Brendan Haywood, Shawn Marion and the rookie Joe Harris. Their descriptions of Blatt’s offense are below.

Brendan Haywood: “Spurs-esque”

Shawn Marion: “Free-Flowing”

Joe Harris: “Detail Oriented”

At first glance, terms like “detail oriented” and “free-flowing” might seem to contradict each other. But they are also two important principles of the Princeton offense. My impression from our conversations is that once you learn and thoroughly understand the details of Blatt’s offense, the collective movement becomes free-flowing—and potentially even “Spurs-esque.”

Haywood, Marion and Harris went on to provide additional insight. Harris is a second-round pick from Virginia entering his rookie campaign with the Cavaliers. Haywood and Marion have combined to play 27 years in the NBA prior to this season.

Haywood: “I like his offense a lot. There’s great ball movement, which is very key in the game of basketball. There isn’t as much of one-on-one. There’s a lot of the ball being kicked from one side of the court to another, which is important. But I said ‘Spurs-esque’ because it’s really all about ball movement—like how the Spurs create those mismatches with defenses by moving the ball so precisely. It doesn’t let the defense lock in on one guy. That’s a lot of what he wants, as far as back-screens, dribble-hand-offs, coming off screen and rolls, kicking and advancing the ball. It’s all about ball movement, that’s key to being a successful team.”

Marion: “It’s a good offense. It’s really good. We’re picking it up slowly but surely. Guys are moving and comfortable in it so far. It’s an offense where we’re looking to attack early if it’s there. But it’s really free-flowing, like I said. The ball really moves. By moving the ball like that, we should be able to keep some offensive pressure up on teams. Spacing is really important too. Both forward positions are interchangeable and it’s important for guys to get to their spots. Right now we’re trying to just build the continuity with it and make sure everyone is together in understanding what we need to do.”

Harris: “I played football growing up, but I never had that football-type playbook for basketball before. We have one here, and it really explains everything. His offense is really detail-oriented, each and every detail is really important. You have to read what’s happening on the floor, and understand exactly where you need to be. The difference for a wing player being at the top of the key, or in the corner in some cases, could be the difference in executing the play properly or not. I really enjoy the offense overall. It’s great for guys like myself and James and Mike Miller because it gives you spacing to knock down shots. Then that opens things up for our playmakers, LeBron, Kyrie, Dion, those guys can really attack the basket and create off the bounce with that spacing.”

LeBron James Shouts-Out Harris in Locker Room

LeBron James made his first appearance at Quicken Loans Arena since returning to Cleveland on Wednesday night for the Cavaliers Wine and Gold scrimmage. He was entertaining a huge collection of media members after the game as I talked with Harris on the opposite side of the locker room. After LeBron’s media session ended, he walked past Harris and I who were standing by the rookie’s locker.

“OK Joe Harris, I see you!” LeBron said loudly, on his way out the door.

The entire locker room immediately turned their attention toward Harris. He was talking with me about Blatt’s offense as I stood there holding a recorder. Every media member in the room seemed to then converge on the rookie.

A television news reporter then asked, as the mob approached, “Hey Joe, how does it feel to get a shout-out from LeBron James in the locker room?”

As I dipped away from the onslaught of reporters, microphones and cameras, I heard Harris offer the following response.

“He’s hilarious man,” he said of LeBron with a laugh. “He’s always saying funny stuff.”
David Blatt: The ball has energy

Blatt began to describe the offensive philosophies he’s used to build his version of the Princeton offense during his introductory press conference this summer. He said he was taught by his high school coach that the basketball has energy, and all five guys on the team must touch the ball to feel connected with that energy.

This is how he believes a basketball team can become collectively engaged at both ends of the floor.

He’s since added that he wants to give his players a chance to read and react offensively by making quality cuts and passes at the right time in his system. Thus far, his new team has embraced that message. We will get our first glimpse of what this offense might look like over the weekend. Blatt’s former team, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, arrives in Cleveland to kick-off the Cavs pre-season schedule on Sunday.

This really shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, because life is cruelly unfair, LeBron James has a photographic memory. It may have taken a while for LeBron and new Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt to meet, but they’re very much on the same page when it comes to the playbook. James has been barking […]

In addition to a deep appreciation for winning and the sacrifice it requires, Blatt and James also share what can only be described as a photographic memory for basketball plays. James can tell you who was guarding him and how for shots that he made or missed in playoff games everyone else has long since forgotten. He can tell you, for example, that James Posey went under J.J. Hickson’s screen and Kevin Garnett was a step slow to close out as he hit a 3-pointer on his way to 45 points (to Paul Pierce’s 41) in Game 6 of the 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals in Boston (The Celtics won 97-92, one of several Boston daggers that eventually drove James from Cleveland to Miami in 2010).

The [Cavs’] coaching staff retreated to their [Monday] evening meeting, which lasted 30 minutes or so. When they emerged, what they saw was heartening, if not particularly surprising: There was James on the practice floor with four teammates, marching them through the intricacies of Blatt’s offensive system from the perspective of each position, one through five. James had already mastered them all.

James already has begun parroting some of Blatt’s catch phrases, as he did with [Erik] Spoelstra in Miami — a superficial sign, at least, that the two are connecting. “No wasted days,” is a rally cry James and Blatt are singing in unison. As for the pressure that comes with the talent, so far James seems to be making an effort to have his coach’s back. […] “He shouldn’t try to impress anyone,” James said. “People get caught up in trying to impress people instead of being who you are and what you stand for. We know what he stands for. We know what he’s here to do, and that’s to lead us and win ballgames.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/lebron-james-already-mastered-david-blatts-offense/feed/0SLAMonlineLeBron James Says Kyrie Irving Will Run the Show in Cleveland (VIDEO)http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/lebron-james-says-kyrie-irving-will-run-show-cleveland-video/
http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/lebron-james-says-kyrie-irving-will-run-show-cleveland-video/#commentsMon, 29 Sep 2014 13:20:15 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=335493

During his second tour with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James doesn’t expect to have to do it all for his team. James wants All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to be the “Tom Brady” of the squad. Irving, as you might expect, is more than happy to continue leading the Cavs’ offense. Per the Plain Dealer: […]

James, a wing player by nature who often takes on the role of point-forward, especially late in games, said “I’ve never played with a point guard like Kyrie Irving, a guy that can kind of take over a game for himself.”

“I don’t think (James) could’ve said it any better, honestly. You guys were going to make what you wanted out of that … You try to just put it in perspective, that I’m the point guard of this team,” Irving said Sunday at Cleveland Clinic Courts, responding to a question about James’ statements. “I’ve got to get us into our offense and lead our defense, just continue to be myself.”

James said on Saturday that both he and Wade “had to move off the ball” and “it was something we weren’t comfortable with going into it.” To the extent that Irving has to share handling the ball with James, James said “it’ll be more of an adjustment for” Irving only because James had already been through it in Miami. […] “He’s our point guard,” James said. “He’s our floor general, and we need him to put us in position to succeed offensively. He has to demand that and command that from us with him handling the ball.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/lebron-james-says-kyrie-irving-will-run-show-cleveland-video/feed/8Ken BlazeTimofey Mozgov: ‘I Would Like to Play With LeBron’http://www.slamonline.com/nba/timofey-mozgov-like-play-lebron/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/timofey-mozgov-like-play-lebron/#commentsMon, 01 Sep 2014 15:40:37 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=333599

It’s no secret that the Cleveland Cavaliers would like to get their hands on Denver Nuggets big man Timofey Mozgov. According to the Moz, the feeling is mutual. Mozgov, in a chat with reporters in Russia, says he’s happy in Denver, but certainly wouldn’t be sad about re-uniting with his old coach David Blatt and […]

“Of course, it would be interesting to play for David Blatt’s team. I know his coaching philosophy well, after working with him on (the) Russian national team. The thing you like about Blatt is that he always sets the highest goals for himself and for the team.”

Mozgov said he has no plans to force his way out of Denver. […] “So far all the talks about trade to Cleveland are just rumors. My last season in Denver was good, and to try and do something to leave the team wouldn’t be smart.”

“I would like to play with LeBron. But even though playing for a contender is cool, you got to understand that I want to be part of the team and not to just join a contender and ride the coattails, being a burden.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/timofey-mozgov-like-play-lebron/feed/61SLAMonlineDion Waiters Expects the Game to Be Easy Next Seasonhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/dion-waiters-expects-game-easy-next-season/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/dion-waiters-expects-game-easy-next-season/#commentsWed, 27 Aug 2014 17:45:48 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=333325

Dion Waiters can’t help it – he’s “an alpha dog”, after all. The Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard plans to be a dominant offensive force next season, playing alongside LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Waiters re-tells the story of James giving him a heads-up about re-joining the Cavs before the rest of the world […]

“I’m still where I am, right?” Waiters, who averaged 15.3 points a game over his first two seasons in Cleveland, said in an interview last week after working out at the Competitive Edge Sports complex in King of Prussia. “You can’t listen to everything that’s out there. I’d say 10 percent is always true. Ninety percent is not. I’ve been traded for three years now. […] I hate losing, and a guy like [James], who’s probably the best player in the world right now, is someone I can learn from. I can grow. I still haven’t reached my peak. Now with a guy like that, he can open up the floor for you and give you a lot of opportunities.”

“When I get the opportunity to get the ball, I’ve got to destroy my opponent,” he said. “The rest of the floor is going to be so wide open that, once I get by him, the rest of it should be easy.”

Whenever he’s in Los Angeles, Waiters also trains regularly with Kevin Love, who joined him and James with the Cavaliers as the primary piece of the three-team trade that sent Andrew Wiggins and Young to the Timberwolves. […] “He likes my game,” Waiters said. “He thinks I’m underrated. One of the things about K-Love, he knows I pass the ball.”

It’s a long shot, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are said to be trying to deal for Denver Nuggets center Timofey Mozgov. Cavs head coach David Blatt, who coached The Moz back in Russia, but he’s skeptical that Cleveland can land the big fella. Per CBS Sports: The Cleveland Cavaliers have been trying to work out […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been trying to work out a trade for Denver Nuggets center Timofey Mozgov for the past six to eight weeks, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on ESPN Cleveland radio.

Mozgov played for Cavaliers head coach David Blatt on the Russian national team. Blatt told Russian outlet ITAR-TASS a few weeks ago that Cleveland had tried to acquire him, but it won’t happen, via Sports.ru’s Alexander Chernykh.

Cavs tried to trade for Timofey Mozgov, David Blatt told ITAR-TASS. Added that he would love to add Shved, though neither trade will happen.

Through his first three seasons in Cleveland, Kyrie Irving has piled up plenty of accolades, but the All-Star point guard knows he has a long way to go. Irving hopes to move past spats with teammates, accusations of not playing defense, and Kyrie knows he must live up to his new max deal with the […]

“Everybody asks me if this is my year to be a leader … I haven’t been so far though, not at all,” Irving said. “I’ve just been a kid trying to figure it out. There’s no perfect way to be a leader, and coming in as a 19-year-old kid and having everything bearing on your shoulders, there are a lot of ups and downs. Now it’s about being the best every single day and not being afraid.

“I’m more than excited with our new veterans. I’m really excited just from the standpoint of how the locker room is going to go and how to really be a professional. I’m not saying that the veterans that we had weren’t professionals themselves, but we didn’t have enough. Given the right and wrong things to do in the league, I’ve had to learn on my own and that’s what some of us been doing.” […] “Now, we have guys who’ve been in the league for years, guys who’ve won championships and have had to give a piece of their game for the greater good of the team. It’s something I admire and something I’m going to learn from.”

Given LeBron James’ return to Ohio (and with Kevin Love on his way as well), all eyes will invariably be on Kyrie Irving and company next season and beyond. Uncle Drew must somehow keep everyone happy on the roster, while improving his own game.

Sorry, David Blatt. LeBron James has been a tad busy this summer, y’know, relocating back to Cleveland, convincing another NBA All-Star to make a similar move, hawking product across the globe, shooting a movie, shedding some extra pounds, and so on. Blatt and James at last sat down for a get-to-know-you chat, according to ESPN: […]

James met face to face with team owner Dan Gilbert before announcing his free-agent choice and had communicated with Blatt by text since signing.

Blatt saw a thinner James at their meeting. James has been focused on cutting his weight by reducing his carb intake since the end of the NBA Finals, and he has lost more than 10 pounds. James’ thinner frame was noticeable in some photos he posted on his Instagram account earlier this week.

James wasn’t in the same room as his front office this summer, but he has been working alongside team officials. He successfully recruited (Mike) Miller and free agent James Jones. James also has been in contact with (Kevin) Love, (Shawn) Marion and free agent Ray Allen, who is deciding whether he wants to continue his career.

The sound you just heard is of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ PR department smacking themselves hard across the forehead. Head coach David Blatt – the first Israeli to lead an NBA team from the bench – spoke candidly about the deadly fighting that continues to rage in Gaza. Blatt says Israel is justified in its bombing […]

The sound you just heard is of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ PR department smacking themselves hard across the forehead. Head coach David Blatt – the first Israeli to lead an NBA team from the bench – spoke candidly about the deadly fighting that continues to rage in Gaza. Blatt says Israel is justified in its bombing campaign. Per Globes:

Now, of all times, when Israel is in a war, you are not in Israel. Blatt: “That’s exactly what’s making me uncomfortable. I’ve always been in Israel at the hardest times. Since Operation Protective Edge began, I feel being in Israel is the most natural thing for me to do. My work is here, though, and I have to get ready for the coming season. It’s not easy for me when I’m constantly thinking about what’s happening in Israel. My two older daughters happen to be on their global post-army service tour, my son is overseas playing in in the European Youth Basketball Championship, and my youngest daughter is also out of the country for a few days. They’re all returning to Israel, though, and I’m planning on seeing them again at the beginning of August. I had a plane ticket with Delta Airlines, but I changed to El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. as soon as Delta canceled its flights to Israel.”

Do you support the operation? Blatt: “Absolutely. In my opinion, this war is Israel’s most justified war I can remember in recent years. I’m really sorry about what’s happening in Gaza, but there’s no doubt that we had to act there, so that Israel will have quiet there once and for all, and we can live in peace.”

For four wildly successful seasons, Dwyane Wade played Robin to LeBron James’ Batman in Miami. Cleveland Cavaliers guards Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters know they must adjust their games with LeBron now as a teammate, and Waiters says he wants to learn how to play Wade’s old role. Per ESPN: “You do think about (changes) […]

For four wildly successful seasons, Dwyane Wade played Robin to LeBron James’ Batman in Miami. Cleveland Cavaliers guards Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters know they must adjust their games with LeBron now as a teammate, and Waiters says he wants to learn how to play Wade’s old role. Per ESPN:

“You do think about (changes) because you’re going to be playing with the greatest player in the game,” Irving said. “I’ve talked to several teammates about how we’re going to have to change our games.”

“I have to make adjustments,” Waiters said. “I like to have the ball and we have Kyrie, and he likes to have the ball. So I have to find ways to impact the game without having the ball. I’m planning to go watch tape to see what D-Wade did when he played with LeBron. I need to learn how to be effective out there with him.”

“(Wade) is a ball-dominant guard too, and when LeBron came over he had to change his game too,” Waiters said. “He was so efficient, though, and that really helped their game. I think I can learn a lot from what he did.”

Forget all the LeBron James hoopla. The real intrigue for the Cleveland Cavaliers during training camp, will be the battle for minutes and status between Dion Waiters and heralded rookie Andrew Wiggins. Waiters, a supremely confident player, continues to insist that he deserves to be the starting shooting guard for the Cavs next season. Per […]

Forget all the LeBron James hoopla. The real intrigue for the Cleveland Cavaliers during training camp, will be the battle for minutes and status between Dion Waiters and heralded rookie Andrew Wiggins.

“I want to start and I believe that I should at the two,” Waiters said.

During Summer League, Wiggins, if retained, says he views himself as a shooting guard rather than a three, which is a smart thing to say considering the position that new guy plays. So, if the roster currently constructed is the roster three months from now, Wiggins and Waiters will be battling it out.

“I just say how I feel,” he said. “I’m going to do whatever is best for the team, of course, but at the end of the day, I’m a man and I’m confident in myself. I’ve always been a guy that gives it right to you. I’ve never been a guy that plays that political stuff. I was brought up that way. I’m straightforward. I give my honest opinion. I’m not going to sit here and hide. They asked a question and I tell you.”

The Cavs have talked with just about every coaching candidate available this summer. They might finally be locking in on one: David Blatt, who coached Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv to a European Championship title this season.

Coaches for the Russian and Lithuanian sides are the latest to come out and publicly decry NBA commissioner David Stern’s wish to limit participation in the Olympics from NBA players with 23-and-under rule going forward. From Yahoo! Sports: “I would hope that the countries would be in an uproar about this,’ Russia coach David Blatt said. ‘Who is one country to determine for everyone how international basketball should be played, and particularly how the Olympic Games should be managed? It’s not supposed to be like that. If it’s a global game, it’s a global game.’ […] Stern will soon meet with FIBA secretary Patrick Baumann, who told the Sports Business Journal that he needed to hear many more details from the NBA before bringing an Under-23 tournament idea to the 200-plus countries in membership. If the NBA doesn’t get what it wants out of a financial partnership with FIBA in a World Cup tournament, Baumann sounded dubious over the NBA’s chances of financing its own non-sanctioned global event. ‘Everybody’s free to organize a tournament,’ Baumann told SBJ. ‘Whether the rest of the world will participate is their choice. If (the NBA is) to distribute billions and billions, then maybe they might participate. If it’s to retain all the benefits for themselves, my guess is the rest of the world won’t participate.’ […] Lithuania’s coach Kestutis Kemzura loves a global basketball climate where he could lose to Nigeria in June, watch them lose to Team USA by 83 points and still somehow come so, so close to beating the Americans. The world keeps getting smaller. Kemzura says the gap keeps closing and he wants Lithuania to keep taking its best shot at the United States’ superstars. He wants to beat the best, wants to beat the USA and wants it on the biggest stage in the world: the Olympics. ‘We went to the qualification in Venezuela on the first of June, and some of our players came straight after they finished (professional) seasons,’ Kemzura said. ‘Of course (the Olympics) matters. We were fighting for this place. I don’t understand this idea of sending younger players, not sending our best to the Olympics. I do not understand it. If we leave everything on money, and money runs the show, where’s the sport? Where’s national team idea?'”

Coach K is fighting his own personal Cold War with David Blatt, an American coaching the Russian hoops team at the World Championship in Turkey. The Daily Herald reports: “There is an interesting sidebar to Thursday’s U.S.-Russia quarterfinal at the FIBA World Championships. The game falls on the 38th anniversary of the controversial gold-medal game at the 1972 Munich Olympics. After a couple of false endings, the Soviet Union completed a long pass and layup at the buzzer to beat the U.S. 51-50 in a hotly disputed ending. It was the United States’ first loss in Olympic basketball competition and the U.S. players and coaches refused to accept their silver medals. American-born Russia coach David Blatt added some color to this matchup by stating Wednesday he once believed the U.S. was cheated out of the gold medal, but now thinks the Soviet Union won the ’72 game fair and square. ‘I was one of those kids crying when the Americans lost the game in the Olympics, when (Aleksander) Belov made the shot at the end,’ Blatt said. ‘I hate to say it, as an American, but it looks like the Russians were right that the American team was not cheated. Funny things happened. But in reality, it was fair. It was fair.’ Naturally, U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski used Blatt’s opinion as bulletin board material. ‘Whatever he thinks, he thinks,’ Krzyzewski said. ‘It really has absolutely no bearing on what we’re trying to do tomorrow. Absolutely none. We’ve addressed that that game was played 38 years ago, and five of these guys are 21. So I don’t think they remember it as well. It is what it is. It’ll be a negative from the way the U.S. looks at it forever, and should be. And it’ll be in some ways a positive for those who believe in fairy tales.'”